


Nightmare

by DianneRose2016



Series: Surviving The Nightmare [1]
Category: Naruto
Genre: Angst, Family, Friendship, Hurt/Comfort, I wrote this ten years ago, Recovery, Trauma, Violence, captured Sasuke, father Kakashi, injuried sasuke, mentions of rape recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-09
Updated: 2021-02-09
Packaged: 2021-03-14 19:15:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 27
Words: 125,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29301000
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DianneRose2016/pseuds/DianneRose2016
Summary: When Orochimaru captures Sasuke it is up to Naruto, Shikamaru, Shino, Kiba, and Neji to bring him back to Konoha, but getting back to Konoha is only the start. Kakashi helps Sasuke to go down the road of recovery. That road though has many bumps along the way including the return of Itachi and a DNA test that none of them saw it coming.
Relationships: Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Sasuke
Series: Surviving The Nightmare [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2152074
Comments: 5
Kudos: 19





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was written ten years ago. I have been working on bringing my stories from Fanfiction over to this site.

"We gotta get out of this storm!" Kiba yelled

Kiba, Naruto, Shikamaru, Shino, and Neji had been travelling in one of the worst thunderstorms they had seen all year. They had been in this storm for almost an hour now and it was getting worse. At first they thought they would be able to get out of it the further they travelled but the storm moved fast.

"Kiba is right we need to find cover he can't be out in this!" Shikamaru yelled.

The storm was so loud they had to yell at each other just to be heard even though they were just inches apart from each other. They were travelling back to Konoha and got hit by a storm just minutes after completing their mission. They were running through the forest and it was becoming difficult to find a place to take cover from the storm.

"He can't take much more of this we need to find a place to hide now!" Naruto yelled

The "He" they were referring to was an unconscious and badly beaten Sasuke. His body was servely injured and he was being carried by Naruto and Neji. He had been taken by the Sound and they were given the mission of retrieving him. Only the mission got more and more complicated when Sasuke was already locked in the Sound before they could reach him. They were hoping they hadn't made it all the way back that they could fight his kidnappers on the journey to the Sound. If they were able to fight them in the forest they stood a better chance and Sasuke would be able to fight. Now here they are looking for any form of shelter they can use to get out of the storm with a dying Sasuke.

"Over there! There's a cave!" Shino yelled

They looked to where Shino was pointing and made their way down towards the cave. They would need to check it out first and make sure it was empty and danger free from any animals or a cave in. Neji and Naruto stood back with Sasuke as the others checked out the cave.

"It's Safe!" Shikamaru yelled

Neji and Naruto went over and they gentle laid Sasuke down on the ground. They all went to work thinking of what they needed to do. A fire was key in order to keep them warm and to get dry. Shino went to work on building a fire for Naruto he just sat there placing Sasuke's head on his lap. It was weird for him to watch Shino start a fire in their group they really used Sasuke to start it, with his fire techniques it was just quick and easy. The other groups didn't have that they had to use matches and flint to start it. Once the fire was started the others began to remove their jackets and ring them out. Then they used rocks that were hanging out of the wall of the cave and placed their jackets on them to dry.

Once that was done they turned to Sasuke. His clothes were soaking wet from the storm and his blood. They needed to come off or he would get sick. Neji was the only one with a bag he looked through it to find the blanket he brought. He always has one just in case and in this situation it would come in handy to wrap it around Sasuke.

"We need to get those clothes off from him. I brought a blanket we can use to wrap around him." Neji said

From being in the cave they didn't have to yell just to hear each other anymore. The storm was getting worse but at least they were finally inside and on their way to getting dry. Shikamaru moved closer and bent down in front of Sasuke so he could start to remove his shirt. He was about to start to remove Sasuke's shirt when Naruto spoke.

"Don't I don't think we should be doing this."

"Naruto we need to remove his clothes if we leave him in wet clothes he'll get sick, In his condition he can't be getting sick." Neji explained

"I know but after what just happened we shouldn't be touching him. He wouldn't want us touching him."

"Naruto we need to take the clothes off at least his shirt and we can wrap the blanket around him. He can't get sick Sasuke would understand that. We also need to try and stop some of this bleeding we don't know how bad his injuries really are. I'll be gentle I promise." Shikamaru said

Naruto nodded his head and started to stroke Sasuke's hair. Shikamaru began to remove Sasuke's shirt he slowly lifted it over Sasuke's head to make sure that he didn't hurt him anymore then he already was. Shikamaru wasn't worried about Sasuke waking up he knew that he wouldn't no matter what at this point. After taking off his shirt Shikamaru handed it to Kiba and Kiba rang it out. Everyone took notice of Sasuke's injuries when they heard Shikamaru sigh. Sasuke was covered in bruises, cuts, broken broken and blood. Every time Sasuke took a breath blood would come out from his ribs. Shikamaru knew it would be from his lung being punctured. They needed to try and stop it some how. The problem was no one in the cave was a medic.

"Ok we need to try and stop this bleeding from his lung somehow. He's got a punctured lung he's bleeding out."

"How can we possibly stop something like that? We're not medics we don't know how to do that or have anything to even use." Naruto said

"Naruto I need you to stop freaking out we can figure this out we just need to stop him from bleeding out. Does anyone have anything that we can use to clamp down on his lung?" Shikamaru asked

Everyone started to go through their pockets Neji went through his bag to try and find anything that could work. Neji found a hair elastic and tweezers in his bag from Tenten on the last mission. He had forgotten she put them in his bag.

"I got something that can work."

Neji took the elastic and wrapped it around the open end of the tweezers to make it so they can shut tight. He then handed them over to Shikamaru so he can use it to clamp down on the bleed. Shikamaru carefully inserted a finger inside Sasuke's side carefully he moved it around till he found the spot that was causing the bleed. He then used his other hand with the tweezers and clamped them down on the puncture as tight as he could. Once he made sure that it was secure enough to let go he removed his finger and left the tweezers in it's place. Shikamaru looked down at his hands they we covered in Sasuke's blood. He was bleeding really bad he didn't know how much longer they really had.

"There's blood running down his thighs." Kiba said

Everyone turned and looked at the blood that kept pouring out of Sasuke. They all knew in that moment that Sasuke was dying.


	2. Chapter 2

**One Week Earlier...**

"Sasuke you can't go around with only revenge as your goal in life. It will lead you no where but more pain." Kakashi said to Sasuke that he tied down to a tree just so the stubborn teen could listen to him.

"How the hell would you know how I feel. You've never been through it maybe you would understand if I went around and killed all of your family."

"You're too late for that Sasuke they are already dead."

Sasuke was shocked he didn't really think about it but he never did hear Kakashi ever talk about his family or anything about friends even.

"I did what you are looking to do I sought revenge and I can tell you it leaves you empty and feeling a lot worse then you do now. The bottom line is Sasuke I can't make you listen to me I can tie you to a tree and hope you listen, but in the end it's your decision. I will tell you this; you're not alone anymore neither of us are. We have friends that care about us now we have a new family and I know that maybe you're truly not ready to except that just yet but you do have friends. Even if you can't call them family yet they care about you. They won't just let you ruin your life either nor will I. So I hope you do some thinking and decide which is more important to you. The truth is Sasuke your family is dead and nothing you can do will bring them back. Why let your brother kill you to."

Kakashi released Sasuke from the tree without saying anything he then disappeared in a poof of smoke. He knew that Sasuke had some things to think over. Sasuke didn't know how long he sat there just thinking things over. Before he knew it it was dark outside so he decided that he would make his way home. He had to admit his mind was racing he did listen to what Kakashi had said and some of it did make sense. Itachi had killed his family, killed his parents right there in front of him. His family was dead killed by his own older brother if Sasuke threw his life away just to kill him then in a way his brother killed him to. It was another way of death but death was death and Sasuke swore he wouldn't let Itachi kill him.

His mind was swimming, he was thankful when he got to his apartment he needed to sleep. Sasuke opened his door and turned the light on. He hated coming into a dark apartment not that he would ever admit to anyone but he did have a slight fear of the dark. Who could really blame him though after what happened to him growing up. Still ninjas never fear anything so it was his secret. After taking his shoes off and locking the door Sasuke made his way back into his bedroom so he could get some much needed sleep. Sasuke went into his bedroom and went over to his bed after pulling back the covers he crawled in and pulled the covers back over him. He really did love just being in his bed it was always warm and comfy. Which just made it easy for him to fall asleep.

A shadow moved across the street making it's way over to the apartment. The door was locked but that was expected before breaking in he checked the windows children are often foolish and forget about what goes bump in the night. The living room window was indeed unlocked and easy enough to open from the outside. Slowly he made his way through the window and into the child's apartment. Being very careful not to make any noise he moved across the floor in search for the sleeping child. Creeping through the bedroom door that was left open the man makes his way over to his target. Bringing out a white cloth and a bottle with clear liquid he pours some of the liquid onto the cloth making sure he doesn't inhale as he does. He moves over to his target so he is now right above him. Taking the cloth he presses it hard against his mouth. Automatically the child's eyes go wide open and he is now wide awake trying to process what is going on. However, before he can clearly see the situation he takes a breath in and inhales the toxic liquid chloroform. His eyes begin to get heavy and his mind goes blurry. He struggles to stay conscious but it's a losing battle against the power of the liquid. His eyes close and he fades into the blackness.

The man throws the cloth down to the bed. He pulls out some rope to tie the boys hands and feet together so if he does wake up he won't be able to fight against him. He also blindfolds the boy to make sure he can't use those powerful eyes of his. Once he has completed these tasks he picks the boy up and throws him over his shoulder and leaves the apartment and disappears into the dark of the night. He has a journey ahead of him and needs to get there quickly or he risks the boy waking up. As he approached the front gate he felt a presence. It was the night watcher. Before the night watcher could really do anything about the situation the man had hit him on a pressure point knocking him to the ground.

The last thing the night watcher saw before he succumbed to the black depths was a Sound ninja fleeing the village with a tied up and unconscious Sasuke over his shoulders.

**That Morning...**

Shikamaru was sitting down at the table eating his breakfast trying to enjoy that last bit of quickness in the morning. Though his mother talking on and on about how he has to hurry up so him and his father could train wasn't helping any. Just when he thought he was free from the yelling of his mother there was a knock on the door. A few moments later his mother came back and told him how Tsunade would like to see him. Right away he got up and grabbed his jacket he had to admit he was a little curious as to why Tsunade would be looking for him. Maybe he was going to get his first mission as a Chounin. He made his way down to the Hokage Tower after saying good bye to his parents. He had to admit he was a little bit excited to be going on a mission if that was indeed what he was going to see Tsunade for.

When he got there he knocked like always and waited till he had permission to enter. Once he was granted permission to enter he opened the door and closed it behind him. He stood at attention like he was always taught and waited for her to speak.

"I have a mission for you. Last night one of our night watchers was knocked unconscious. Before he passed out he saw a Sound ninja caring a tied up unconscious Sasuke outside of Konoha."

"What!"

"The Sound has been after Sasuke ever since Orochimaru took interest in him during the Chounin exams. We kept that information classified fearing that if too many people knew they would try and kill Sasuke. Fearing that Orochimaru would return for him or Sasuke would betray Konoha. I don't think I need to tell you what it will mean for not only Konoha but the rest of the Ninja World if Orochimaru gets his hands on Sasuke's Sharigan. Your mission is to retrieve Sasuke and bring him back to Konoha."

"It was just one man?"

"Yes that is all the watcher saw."

"So if he is still travelling to the Sound then it should be easy to get Sasuke back."

"If he has reached the Sound then you will need to go through the Sound in order to retrieve Sasuke. Which will become complicated as we don't know anything about it's lay out or how many followers Orochimaru has."

"For this mission I'll need a team made up of Chounin and Jounin then."

Tsunade looked down as she spoke

"I can't give you that."

"What? Why not?"

Tsunade snapped her head up.

"You know why. I had to send them all out on other mission to make money for the village and only a few are left behind in case the village gets attacked. All I can give you is as many Genin you can find within the next few hours. Take them with you."

Shikamaru let out a sigh this mission was basically suicide if Sasuke was in the Sound by now. Sasuke was tough though if this guy could capture Sasuke he was strong.

"This mission is going to be almost impossible, it's dangerous and could be deadly if Sasuke is in fact in the Sound. However, i know Sasuke he's a commrad and for that I can't just let this one go. I can't just leave him to be tortured and killed. So I'll do my best and try and get as many as I can to help get Sasuke back."

"I do have someone that I would like you to bring along with you."

"Who is that my lady?"

"Naruto."

Shikamaru had to say he was surprised when Tsunade had requested for Naruto to be one of the Genin to be on the retrieval team. Shikamaru walked over to get Naruto first then try and search for anyone else that would be willing to go along. It wasn't like he could order anyone in this type of mission as serious as this it was always up to the individual to go or not. Shikamaru knocked on Naruto's door and waited a few moments before he answered. Naruto looked like he just got up he was still in his pyjamas. Sasuke and Naruto were team mates so this wouldn't be easy to tell Naruto this, but they had to get moving.

"Shikamaru what are you doing here?"

"We have a mission to go on get dressed."

"A mission awesome what is it?"

"A retrieval mission."

"Who are we going after?"

"Last night Naruto there was a Sound nin he came in and took Sasuke."

"What!"

"We need to go and find other Genin that are willing to come with us to bring Sasuke back."

"He just up and left!"

"No Naruto he didn't leave on his own free will he was uncounsious and tied up when the night watcher last saw him before he passed out. Sasuke's in danger if he gets to the Sound there is no telling what will happen to him. So hurry up."

Naruto ran into his room to get ready he couldn't believe any of this. Sasuke had gotten kidnapped and now they had to go to the Sound which they have never been to to try and find Sasuke and hope it isn't too late. After a few minutes Naruto came running back out to Shikamaru after he locked his door they made their way to try and find anyone else willing to go on a mission as dangerous as this. Shikamaru figured he would make his way towards the front gate and hope he found any other Genin along the way.

Along the way to the front gate they came across Kiba, Shino and Neji. After telling them the situation they all agreed to go along. Neji was the only one that had a pack on him he was training and always caries one when he goes. They made their way over to the front gate where Shikamaru would try and come up with a plan and explain everything. They all stood around in a circle waiting to hear Shikamaru tell them what he needed to.

"The four of you are here, because you chose to help me get Sasuke back. I know we don't really know Sasuke all that well including you Naruto. Sasuke always kept to himself he doesn't talk much only when he has to. I don't particularly like him, but I won't just leave him at the mercy of Orochimaru. We bring him back no matter what no one gets left behind. No one am i understood?"

They all nodded their head and checked their weapons. Once that was done they started their journey to the Sound to get Sasuke back.


	3. Chapter 3

The man finally reached the Sound. Sasuke was still unconscious over the man's shoulders he hadn't moved once the drug obviously taking a more powerful effect then the man had thought. Though, he couldn't say he was surprised Sasuke was a small frame and didn't weigh very much. The man entered the underground layer and made his way through the tunnels to reach his desired room. Once there he took Sasuke and placed him down on the metal table. He then went to untie the rope around his ankles and then placed them in the metal shackles attached to the table. He made his way over to his wrists and then did the exact same so he would not be able to move.

That's when his patients ended he wanted to play so it was time to wake him up. He pulled his fist back then hit Sasuke on the side of his face with all of his strength. That worked Sasuke started to stir and open his eyes. Sasuke blinked away the blurriness from his eyes and slowly started to take in the situation. His face hurt so that meant someone had just hit him. He couldn't move though, and he could feel a cold metal pressing against both his wrists and ankles so he was tied up. He looked over to where he assumed the punch came from given which side of his face hurt. There stood a man that Sasuke had never seen before in his life. He wasn't short but he wasn't tall either, he had a muscle build that gave him an intimidating look. He had dark color hair and dark eyes he didn't know who this man was but he could see a headband he was a ninja but the symbol he didn't recognize it. It was a musical note that wasn't from a village he had ever heard of before.

Sasuke searched through his mind trying to figure it out where that symbol represented. He forced his mind to go back to the Chounin exam where all kinds of ninja from different villages appeared at. That's when it hit him the ninja that attacked them that put the curse mark on him they were wearing the same village. The Sound village that was where Orochimaru was from he was in Orochimaru's layer. If he couldn't get free he was in some serious trouble. The man moved away from him and went over to a table on the other side of the room. The man held his back to Sasuke which gave Sasuke the chance to look around the room and see if there was a way to get out of here. There was a set of stairs that Sasuke assumed lead to a door, but he couldn't turn his head that way far enough to confirm it.

The man turned back around with a sick grin on his face. The man made his way back over to Sasuke with a metal spike and hammer in his hand. He walked over to Sasuke and got ready for some fun finally. Orochimaru gave him permission to do anything he wanted to, to break Sasuke.

"We are going to have so much fun together. I can't wait to hear you scream."

Scream Sasuke wouldn't give him the pleasure. He was stubborn after all he was an Uchiha he wouldn't give the man satisfaction in knowing he could make him scream no matter what. The man placed the metal spike right on the palm of Sasuke's left hand and with the hammer over op of it. With one swift movement he pulled the hammer back and slammed it into the spike causing it to go through his palm. Sasuke bit his tongue to make sure that not a sound was heard. This angered the man he didn't like it when his prey didn't make any noise he would have to change that. With that he began his assault on the poor boy. He punched him, cut him, burned him and much more just to get any sound out of him. Only he received none so now he was going to take it to a whole different level if he didn't want to make any sounds that's fine he would make sure he never can again. The man turned back to his table and picked up a needle and wire. He made his way back over to Sasuke and grabbed a hand full of hair to make sure his head didn't move.

"You won't scream then I'll make sure you never speak another word again."

The man placed the needle at the bottom of Sasuke's lip then slowly pushed into his lip causing the needle to go through. Once it was through his bottom lip he began to push it through his upper lip. Once it was through both lips he pulled it tight to make sure the wire was tight bringing the corner of his mouth closed. He repeated this till Sasuke's mouth was completely sewn shut with the wire. Once the man was complete with his task he went and placed the needle back down on the table and left the room. He was feeling tired and hungry it would do the boy's mental state worse not knowing when he would be back.

Sasuke took a shaky breath when he heard the door close behind the man. His whole body hurt and he could feel blood running down his chin from his lips. His body was starting to shake from the cold of the room and the pain he was in. He needed sleep but he knew he shouldn't when he was in this situation he had to try and stay awake no matter what. Someone will come for him Konoha wouldn't let him just be taken someone will come for him.

They were almost there they had been pushing themselves all day just trying to get there by nightfall. They hadn't even taken a break yet they all knew how serious this mission was they couldn't risk nor afford any lost time. If they could get Sasuke out by nightfall they would be able to use the darkness to their advantage. They were all hoping that they would find Sasuke part way fighting to get free or had gotten free and on his way back to Konoha. There was no such luck though Sasuke wasn't able to get away or still was unconscious either way he was in danger and every minute they spent travelling is a minute that Sasuke could be getting tortured.

They were finally outside of the hideout. The whole way there no one had really spoken a word to each other. All of them fearing the same thing the first loss of a commrad. Sasuke was tough possibly the toughest in the group of the Genin. He had already survived the death of his clan he knew how to survive that was already a proven fact. All they could do was hope that Sasuke could hold on long enough for them to get to him. After making a plan they made their way towards the snake's layer. They had witnessed a ninja coming out of the entrance so now they knew exactly where it was they could make their move. Once it was clear the headed for the hidden doorway making sure they kept hidden of anymore ninja.

Once they were inside they quickly made it through the tunnels. Neji was tracking Sasuke's chakra signature to try and locate him easier and it was working so far. That also meant that Sasuke was still alive. They followed multiple tunnels before they came to a door that held a room full of Sasuke's chakra signature. Neji didn't feel anyone else in the room so they very carefully opened the door into the room. Shikamaru made sure he looked through the slightly opened door before he opened it all the way. He didn't see nor sense anyone else in the room but Sasuke so he felt it was safe enough to go through.

They all entered the room and began to go down the stairs very slowly and cautiously. They had to get to Sasuke but they also had to be careful not to get caught themselves otherwise they were all dead. Once they were down the steps they saw Sasuke strapped down to a metal table. They quickly went over to him and they couldn't believe what they saw. Sasuke was beaten, bloody and his mouth was sewn shut. Sasuke couldn't believe it there was Shikamaru, Neji, Shino, Kiba and Naruto here to get him out of here they came for him.

"Mmmmmmmmm"

"Calm down Sasuke I'm gonna get that off of you just calm down." Shikamaru said.

He knew that it was wire holding his mouth shut he would need to cut it off but it will hurt that was for sure. He also needed to take that spike out from his palm and get these shackles off. Shikamaru grabbed one of his weapons he would take the wire off first then everything else.

"Ok Sasuke I have to cut the wire off to get it out I need you to not move I don't want to cut you. We're going to get you out of here just breathe and bare with us." Shikamaru said

Naruto went around to the other side of Sasuke to make sure he didn't move. None of them knew how Sasuke would react in this situation it wasn't one that they ever thought they would be in. Sasuke was normally calm and collected but he had clearly been tortured for who knows how long so they couldn't judge exactly how he would react. Slowly Shikamaru began to cut through the wire. It was hard not to pull on it too hard to cause Sasuke more pain then he already was in. It was a slow process but the wire was finally off from Sasuke's mouth. Sasuke began to cough after taking a deep breath in to settle the coughing down he looked at Shikamaru.

"Get these off from me get em off."

"Breathe Sasuke breathe it's going to be okay. There's got to be a key or something we can use to get these off." Shikamaru said

Kiba went over to the table to try and find a key or something that they could pick the locks on the shackles with. Neji went over to Sasuke's left hand to remove the spike in his palm.

"Sasuke I'm going to remove this it's going to hurt I need you not to make a sound and stay very still. There's no telling what kind of damage that this has done or how much bleeding there is going to be."

Sasuke gave a nod. Neji placed his right hand on the spike and his left hand on Sasuke's forearm to hold it in place.

"Do you want me to count down or just do it?"

"Just do it."

Neji took a moment to make sure he had the right grip then with one quick movement he pulled the spike out from Sasuke's palm. Sasuke took a sharp inhale as Neji pulled it out to keep himself from yelling.

"It's out the spike is out we just have to get these shackles off then we can get you out of here. Just breathe Sasuke." Shikamaru said

"Kiba did you find anything to pick these locks with?" Naruto asked

"No there's no key here there's nothing here to use on the locks."

"They are chakra resistant to we can't even use our chakra against them." Shino said

"Now what?" Naruto asked

"There's got to be something we can use to break these shackles." Shikamaru said

"Someone is coming" Neji said

"It's him again." Sasuke whispered

They all took one look at each other and before they knew it the man that had taken Sasuke was now in the room with them. They all went into defense mode they still had Sasuke strapped down to a table. This guy had proven he was strong they just had to figure out how to fight against him together.

"Well what do we have here. More toys to play with it would seem. Came to get your little friend I was hoping I would get to have more time with him I still haven't heard him scream."

"You never will you son of a bitch" Naruto said he hated this man for taking Sasuke and hurting him. Sasuke was his teammate he would never hear him scream.

"You are all weak you can't beat me."

"There's five of us and only one of you. You might want to rethink that buddy." Kiba said

That's when the fight started the man was strong that was for sure. They had fought him till they couldn't anymore the man was an expert at pressure points though more so than Neji. He was able to hit them in just the right spot to make it so they couldn't move. Now after an hour here they were sore, tired and locked up in the cell that was in the room behind Sasuke. The man was standing beside Sasuke he went to stroke the side of Sasuke's face.

"See I told you that your little friends didn't stand a chance against me. It'll be ok though Orochimaru will be back in a little while. In the meantime that means me and you get to play some more."

The man moved closer to Sasuke's mouth as he was talking he was right above Sasuke's lips when Sasuke spat into his face. The man pulled his head back and took his right hand and wiped the side of his face. The man then punched Sasuke hard right in the jaw. He then grabbed a chunk of his hair and pulled his head back and towards him.

"You still got some spunk eh? I'm gonna fix that if I can't then he will. You'll be screaming and begging for it all to end when we are through with you."

The man let go of Sasuke's hair and went back to the table. After picking up something he turned back to Sasuke.

"Now let's play bitch."


	4. Chapter 4

"Leave him alone!" Naruto yelled once again.

They didn't know how long they had been locked away in this cell. There were no windows or any way of being able to tell just what time of the day it was. If there was at least a window they could watch the sun there was nothing. The room smelt like blood and burning flesh from Sasuke. The longer he went without making a single sound the crueler the man got on him. Still after all this time that they don't even know how long it was Sasuke remained silent. It was clear that the man was frustrated and annoyed at the lack of sounds to come from the child. He has tortured many before and all have begged for it to end. Men four times the size of Sasuke have cried and plead for the end, but nothing he did could make a single sound escape the twelve year olds mouth.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!"

The man screamed as he threw the hammer out of his hand. It hit the wall with a good thump and fell to the floor. He was frustrated that he couldn't get Sasuke to make a single sound in the time he had been here. Now his time was up he could feel Orochimaru's presence when he entered the hideout. Now he had to go and find him and ask what he wanted done with Sasuke. The man went up the stairs he was done if he couldn't make the boy scream he would at least get to watch as Orochimaru does.

Once the door closed Shikamaru didn't waste any time in trying to get Sasuke to talk. He got up and moved over to the front of the cell and put his hands around a bar.

"Sasuke say something to me."

Sasuke started coughing so violently he was choking on his own blood. He turned his head to make sure the blood came out the side of his mouth as appose to down his throat. Everyone in the cell could see Sasuke struggling the whole time he was shaking from the pain. Shikamaru truly didn't know how much more Sasuke could take. He's never seen him in this condition even in the Chounin exams. Sure he got hurt his team even had to come to his aid but that was nothing. Shikamaru remembered that day very clearly it was the first time he saw that Sasuke was just like them. He had people that were stronger than him. In their class Sasuke was at the top and even out of the Genin in Konoha Shikamaru could honestly say that Sasuke would be the best and even give some Chounin a good go.

That day though that day was different. Sasuke needed help he was unconscious. However, in the end it was Sasuke that was able to defeat their enemy. This was a totally different situation though; Sasuke wasn't going to be any help to them this time around. Shikamaru needed to get Sasuke to talk so he knew if he was holding up. The strongest quality Sasuke has is his will power. If that wasn't proven before with the death of his family it was proven right here and now. Anyone would have made a sound if not begged for it to stop, but not him he wouldn't give that man the satisfaction.

"Sasuke take nice deep breaths to slow your coughing down. I need you to talk I gotta hear your voice and hear if you're okay."

Sasuke slowly calmed his coughing fit down but he still didn't talk he couldn't find the energy he just wanted to sleep.

"Come on Sasuke talk to us." Naruto said

"Sasuke how are you feeling?" Neji asked

"Tired…" Sasuke's voice was faint he couldn't hold on much longer.

"Sasuke stay awake come on stay with us." Shikamaru said

Sasuke started coughing again his shaking was getting worse and he found it harder and harder to breathe. Once the coughing slowed down they heard the first sound of pain escape his lips. It was a small whimper, his will power was weakening. They all looked at each other no one really know what to say they all knew they needed him to stay awake.

"Sasuke I know you're in a lot of pain but ya gotta stay awake man." Kiba said hoping he would be able to get through to Sasuke. There was no reply though so Naruto tried.

"Come on Sasuke stay awake. You can do this we're gonna get out of here just stay awake."

Nothing could be heard but Sasuke's faint breathing and it as getting weaker and weaker. He was unconscious now and this worried Shikamaru.

"Sasuke?"

"It's no use Naruto he's unconscious." Shikamaru said

"We need to find a way out of here before that guy comes back." Kiba said

"There has to be a way to get out of this cell." Shino said

"It's chakra resistant though." Neji said

"There has to be something we can use to pick the lock though anything." Shikamaru said

"That guy is the only one with the key we need to take it off from him." Naruto said

"But how?" Kiba asked

Before anyone could come up with an answer the door opened and the man walked in once again. He went right over to Sasuke and was pleased to see him passed out it would make moving him easier. He got right close to Sasuke's face he placed his lips over his.

"You're so cute when you're passed out."

"Leave him the hell alone you bastard!" Naruto yelled

The man turned his eyes upward to look at his other little captives and smirked.

"Oh don't worry about me Orochimaru is the one you should be concerned about. He's looking forward to his time alone with Sasuke. So say goodbye to your little friend he needs to leave and be ready for Orochimaru."

The man began to remove the shackles after pulling out the keys that were on a ring in his pocket. That same ring held the key to the cell as well so now they knew where they were on him. All they could do was hope he came back into the room for them. The man picked Sasuke up and threw him over his shoulder once again and went up the stairs. When the door slammed shut Sasuke was gone.

"He'll be back and when he does we need a plan on how to get the keys." Shikamaru said

"How do you know he'll even come back?" Naruto asked

"He wants to do the same to us." Shino said

"So that means he has to open the door we can attack him then." Kiba said

"We can't not in this cell we need to outside of it. We can't use our chakra in this cell even if the door is open." Neji said

"Now that we know where the key is I can have my beetles retrieve it." Shino said

"Can they do that without him noticing?" Shikamaru asked

"Yes"

"Then we'll do that once out of the cell we fight and we don't stop till he's down." Shikamaru said

Thy all nodded and waited till the man came back into the room twenty some odd minutes later. He wore a sick grin on his face and he looked excited for whatever was going to happen. H went over to the left corner of the room and reached up and opened a cabinet to reveal a television behind it.

"You are all going to enjoy this show."

He turned it on and they couldn't believe what they saw. There was Sasuke tied down to a bed and he was naked.

"What the hell are you doing?" Naruto yelled

"Oh it's not what I'm doing it's what Orochimaru will be doing. I'm simply going to enjoy listening to him scream. I guarantee he'll beg to."

"Sasuke will never beg." Naruto said

"Oh yes he will he's about to go through a whole different kind of torture. Just shut up and watch."


	5. Chapter 5

They all stood there just watching the television screen that's all they could do. They saw a shadow come onto the screen which they could only guess would be Orochimaru entering the room. No one talked no one moved they all couldn't do anything but stand there and watch. Orochimaru opened the door full of anticipation he was looking forward to his time with Sasuke. He opened the door and slowly moved across the room enjoying the view that awaited him.

There was Sasuke tied up naked to his bed. He was all bloody and he never looked more attractive than he did in that moment. Orochimaru walked across the floor till he was right at the bed side looking down at an unconscious Sasuke. Now all he had to do was decide how he wanted to wake Sasuke up. There were so many thought filling his head he didn't know what one he should do first. Of course none were any fun if Sasuke wasn't awake to enjoy any of it. Orochimaru ran a single finger down Sasuke's blood covered chest. He wanted to taste it. He took his finger that held some of Sasuke's blood and licked it slowly. Savoring the taste as it filled his mouth. He needed him awake he needed more fun.

Orochimaru went over to the desk in the room. He opened the drawer and pulled out a vile then went back over to the bed. He pulled out the cork and held the vile underneath Sasuke's nose. The fumes were designed to bring anyone back to conscious. After a few seconds Sasuke began to slowly stir. Slowly he started to wake up, his eyes began to flutter open and his senses we're coming back to him. The room was bright compared to the cell he had been in for god knows how long. The brightness was hurting his eyes he didn't want to keep them open. He still didn't register what was going on his whole body hurt too much and he was having trouble thinking. He just wanted to sleep he found himself slowly drifting back to the darkness. He was almost there when he smelt that smell again. He could hear a faint voice in the background telling him to wake up. He let out a small groan and then that smell was gone.

Still not really opening his eyes he tried to get his mind to work. It was bright in here which means this room was different from where he was being held. He was on something soft and not hard like the metal table. It was still cold in this room but at least he was a little bit more comfortable. He moved his hand slightly and sure enough he was still strapped down to something so he was still in the Sound by the feel of things. That's when he felt a single finger move down his chest. It was skin on skin and not skin on material he wasn't wearing a shirt. That's when Sasuke realised he wasn't wearing anything. He forced his eyes to open and sure enough once the blurriness faded there was Orochimaru standing there above him and not only was he naked so was Orochimaru.

"What…"

Sasuke could barely talk his body was so weak he found it difficult to keep his eyes open little lone anything else.

"Now now Sasuke if you don't stay awake this isn't any fun."

Orochimaru punched Sasuke hard right on the side of his head. That got his attention now he was wide awake. He looked right at Orochimaru if he had the strength to glare he would of the problem was his whole body hurt.

"There we go now you're awake. Are you ready to play Sasuke-Kun?"

"Go to hell."

"I don't think you're in the best position to talk like that Sasuke-Kun."

Orochimaru got up and straddles Sasuke's lap. Sasuke tried to get his wrists out from the shackles but they were too tight. He tried to pull them off from the bed posts but that was no use either. He looked up at Orochimaru who was just sitting there staring at him. Then he bent down and began to lick the blood on Sasuke's chest. This made Sasuke turn his head in disgust. He looked to the left and saw that sitting on a table just a little ways away from the bed was a key. A key that he figured would be the one that could unlock these shackles the problem was how he would get the key Sasuke didn't know.

"Mmmm you taste so sweet Sasuke-Kun. I can't wait to feel you."

Orochimaru moved closer so his mouth was right over top of Sasuke's. He stuck his tongue out and licked Sasuke's lips. He was in a great deal of unbearable pain but that didn't stop him from spitting onto Orochimaru's face. Orochimaru sat up and wiped the saliva off from his face. He wasn't impressed he doesn't like it when his pets are disrespectful. He grabbed the dagger off from the table and stabbed Sasuke right on his left side where his lung is. Sasuke inhaled as the pain filled him. Orochimaru left the blade in while he talked to Sasuke.

"Now you listen here my pet and listen good. You will not disrespect me you will do whatever it is that I tell you to do. You are nothing; you are my pet and will always be my pet. Now I could make this enjoyable or I could make you want to kill yourself it's up to you how this goes either way I get what I want."

"Go fuck yourself."

Orochimaru got up and made his way over to the desk in the room once again. He had a plan for Sasuke he was going to be his pet regardless. The fun part was always breaking them into submission. Sasuke would fear him till the day he died he was going to make sure of that. After pulling out some one sided barbwire he wrapped it around his erection then turned back to Sasuke. Sasuke felt like he couldn't breathe he didn't want anything like this to happen but either way it was going to he wouldn't consent to this he wouldn't.

"I gave you the choice my pet but you have to do things the hard way and now you'll regret it."

Orochimaru moved over to Sasuke and he straddled his chest which placed his erection right in front of Sasuke's mouth. Sasuke couldn't help it he was starting to shake he knew what was coming and he couldn't think of any way to get out of this. He didn't want any of this he just wanted to be back at home sleeping trying to get through the pain. Orochimaru didn't even give him orders anymore he knew he wouldn't follow them just yet. So he placed his right hand on both sides of Sasuke's jaw and pushed in as hard as he could. It would force Sasuke's mouth open if he held out through the pain it would break it either way his mouth will be open.

Sasuke felt the strength behind Orochimaru's hand against his jaw bone. It was strong and it was painful. He tried his hardest not to give in and open his mouth the problem was the harder he pushed the harder it was not to let his mouth open. Slowly his jaw muscles couldn't fight it anymore and his mouth slowly gave in and began to open.

"That's it open your mouth for me my little pet."

Sasuke tried his hardest not to open his mouth but the pressure and pain were too intense he couldn't hold out any longer. Sasuke's mouth was finally open wide enough for Orochimaru to stick his dick in Sasuke's mouth. As Sasuke felt Orochimaru's dick go into his mouth he tasted metallic from the blood filling his mouth from the barbwire. Then more pain followed as Orochimaru began to thrust in and out of his mouth. Within a few minutes Sasuke had a mouth so full of blood he was choking on it. Blood was dripping down the side of his mouth. Sasuke kept fighting with the shackles to try and get them off from the posts or from his wrists but it was no use he couldn't get free. Orochimaru began to moan at how good and warm Sasuke's mouth was. The blood running down Sasuke's chin was only turning him on even more. He wanted more he wanted to feel so much more. Orochimaru pulled out and quickly shoved his tongue in Sasuke's mouth he wanted to taste him. He pushed his lips against Sasuke's hard as he licked and tasted the sweet blood of his pet.

"Mmmm you taste so good my pet I want more. I want to make you mine forever."

Orochimaru moved down so he was right in between Sasuke's legs. He wanted to make Sasuke his no one will ever have him. Sasuke knew what he was going to do and he couldn't handle the thought of this happening to him. His mind was freaking out he didn't want this he couldn't handle this or the pain anymore he couldn't take it.

"No please don't please just leave me alone please don't do this."

"Hm begging me now are you my pet never thought you would be doing that so soon. Don't worry it's only going to hurt a lot my pet. Maybe this will teach you a lesson."

Orochimaru didn't give Sasuke the chance to reply to he just shoved his dick inside of him all the way. A scream escaped Sasuke's lips pain filled his entire body. This only encouraged Orochimaru more and he began to violently thrust hard and deep inside Sasuke's tight virgin entrance.

"So tight my pet look at all that blood mmmmm. This is what you get to do for the rest of your life till I kill you my pet."

Sasuke let out another scream as Orochimaru kept thrusting deep inside of him. He could feel the blood pouring out of him. He couldn't take this the pain was on a whole different level. He could feel the tears burning behind his eyes he fought them back he wouldn't let him see him cry he wouldn't. After a few more hard thrusts Orochimaru came inside of Sasuke. Sasuke could feel his insides burning he couldn't take this he couldn't do this anymore. Orochimaru pulled out and saw all the blood and his now cum dripping out of Sasuke's abused entrance. He was pleased that he could break him.

Orochimaru got up and went and took the barbwire off from himself. He then got dressed and turned to look at his broken pet on the bed. After giving him a smirk he turned to the door, but before going out he spoke one last time.

"I'll be back a little later for another round my pet."

After that he walked out of the room. That's when the tears fell he couldn't hold it in anymore everything hurt he couldn't take this. He couldn't stop the tears no matter how hard he tried to hold them in. He had to get out of here he had to figure out how to get out of these shackles no matter what. He looked at his right hand and he started to twist it to try and pull it through the shackle. The twisting caused his wrists to cut and bleed but the blood was helping to make his wrist more slippery. Slowly he was able to slide his hand through but doing so he cut his wrist deep and his thumb got dislocated as he pulled it through. Now with his one hand free he turned to the next one. The tears were making it hard for him to see clearly he couldn't stop them.

He pulled his right wrist to his chest it hurt and he was bleeding heavily from the shackles. He put his head down he couldn't stop crying all of this was just too much for him he couldn't hold on any longer. The blood loss was making him light headed and dizzy the room was spinning. He tried to focus on getting his next wrist free but between the tears and blood loss he just didn't have the strength to pull his wrist through. He looked over to where the key was. He tried to reach his hand out to grab the key it was hard because his ankles were still shackled down as well. He reached as far as he could but he just couldn't reach it. The room got darker and darker he couldn't see any more everything was all fuzzy. He couldn't hold on any longer, the bed was soaked with his blood he knew in that moment that he was dying and no matter how hard he tried he just couldn't make his body move to try and get free. Everything went black.


	6. Chapter 6

They all stood there just watching. It was like witnessing a train wreck it was horrifying but you just couldn't look away even though you knew you should. No one could move no one could get any words out they couldn't believe what they were seeing. There was Sasuke the Uchiha Sasuke tied down to a bed getting raped. He screamed and be begged it was unbelievable and horrific to watch. He was broken his will power had gotten beat down to the point where not only did he beg he was crying. Naruto couldn't help but close his eyes when he saw Sasuke pull his wrist through that shackle the pain that he must have felt. He was bleeding to death and now he was passed out from blood loss and pain. They had to help him they had to get out of here.

While the others were shocked at what they saw Shino remembered the plan. In order for any of them to stand a chance they had to get the key to get out of this cell. Sasuke needed their help he needed them to save him and that was exactly what Shino was going to do. He got his beetles to go over to the man and crawl into his pocket. This time was perfect because he was so distracted by watching the screen he didn't even feel them nor notice that the keys were being taken. Shino got the keys through the bars and into his hand. He handed them over to Shikamaru so he could open the cage he was the closest to the lock then the others. Shikamaru snaked his hand through the bars and was able to get the key in to unlock the cage. With a click they were free thankfully the man was so lost in the screen he didn't notice anything that was going on around him. They were able to get out of the cage and now they could attack him.

They had to move quickly and effectively this was their only chance of getting out of here. If they didn't do this right they would be back in that cage and one of them would be next. Shikamaru made a few hand signals letting the others know what they needed to do. If Shikamaru could get his shadow technique on the man he could hold him in place and the others could attack. They needed him unconscious so they could tie him up and keep him in the cell that they were just in. After a good half an hour they were successful in getting the man in the cell tied up and unconscious. Now it was time to find Sasuke all over again but they had to be careful they didn't run into Orochimaru or they were all dead without a question. They followed Neji as he sought out Sasuke's chakra signature once again and it was even weaker than he had thought. Sasuke was dying and they needed to get to him as fast as possible. They moved quickly and quietly through the Sound till they finally reached their door to the room Sasuke was being held in. thankfully they had managed to avoid any ninjas. Whenever they sensed someone they hid around a corner or in a corridor till they had past. They approached the door and Shikamaru went in first followed by the others.

The room reeked of blood and sex and in the middle of it was an unconscious Sasuke fighting for his life. They ran up to Sasuke and Shikamaru immediately checked for a pulse. It was weak and he was barely breathing this wasn't good not in the least. Naruto went over to the other side of Sasuke and began to gently shake him.

"Sasuke come on Sasuke wake up."

Kiba grabbed a blanket and covered Sasuke up real quick until they were able to get him dressed. He looked at Shino.

"Where are his clothes?"

"I don't know they have to be here somewhere."

Shino began to try and find Sasuke's clothes as Shikamaru unlocked the shackles with the key. He then grabbed Sasuke's right wrist to see how deep the cut went. It was deep really deep and still bleeding.

"Neji come look at this."

"What's wrong?" Naruto asked

Neji made his way over next to Shikamaru to take a look at Sasuke's wrist.

"We need to wrap that." Neji said

He ripped a piece of the sheet off so he could wrap it around Sasuke's wrist, but he needed something to hold it down.

"Kiba give me your belt."

Kiba took off his belt and quickly handed it to Neji so he could tie it around Sasuke's wrist. Neji made sure it was tight enough to stop the bleeding he would need stitches but they didn't have any material for that. Shino found Sasuke's clothes and placed them on the bed. They all took a quick look at each other they knew Sasuke had to get dressed but none of them could get the images out of their had that just happened.

"Shino, Kiba and Neji go outside the door and keep a look out." Shikamaru said

They understood what he was getting at so they did as instructed. Once Sasuke was dressed they would be on the move to get out of here. Naruto looked as the three of them left the room he was left alone with Shikamaru and Sasuke.

"Help me get him dressed Naruto."

"I can't…"

"Naruto focus we need to get him out of here. You are his teammate you've seen him getting dressed you've seen him naked. Sure not like this but its better if you help me as appose to one of them. You're his friend he needs you right now he would do it for you if the situation was reversed so take your problems put them to the side, because his problems are worse now help me."

Naruto gave a nod and started to help Shikamaru get Sasuke dressed. Shikamaru grabbed Sasuke's shorts as Naruto turned Sasuke over so he was on his back. It was terrifying how unresponsive Sasuke was he was in bad shape. Naruto couldn't stop his hands from shaking he was terrified that Sasuke was going to die on him. Shikamaru moved the blanket but kept it still covering Sasuke's private parts out of respect. He slid Sasuke's shorts on and Naruto helped to pull them up all the way. The next part was easier it was Sasuke's shirt. Naruto shifted so Sasuke was leaning against his chest so they could slid Sasuke's shirt over his head. They were careful with his arms so that they didn't damage them anymore than they already were. One arm appeared to be broken or so Shikamaru thought none of them were medics. Once Sasuke was dressed Naruto and Shikamaru each grabbed an arm and gently got up and headed for the door to meet the others.

Once outside the door Shikamaru handed Sasuke over to Neji so that if they needed to fight Shikamaru could do his shadow technique.

"Let's get the fuck out of here." Kiba said

They moved carefully making sure that they didn't hurt Sasuke anymore then he already was. This situation was a lot worse than Shikamaru would have thought. Sasuke was worse than he could ever have imagined. All they had to do was just get out of here it was just one step at a time. Once they got out of the Sound then they could work on getting back to Konoha. Once in Konoha they would be safe Sasuke would be safe. They now knew Orochimaru would be coming back for Sasuke so they would have him guarded and kept safe. They just had to get out of here. They followed the way Neji felt the less presence thank fully the Sound was dead and Orochimaru was nowhere to be seen.

They ran as fast as they could to get out of here without being noticed. They had to hurry they needed to be as far away as possible before Orochimaru came back looking for another round with Sasuke. They finally reached the entrance and opened the hidden door only to be greeted with a thunderstorm.

Kakashi was on his way over to the Hokage Tower he had been away on a mission for almost a week now. He left the night he spoke with Sasuke he knew he had this mission and he wanted to make sure he spoke with Sasuke before he left. He knew Sasuke was having problems and he was slipping he didn't want something to happen while he was away. Kakashi had to admit he was worried that Sasuke was going to run away. He was twelve years old and very confused. He lost his family by his older brother's hands so no one could really blame him for feeling the way that he did. Itachi and Sasuke were always very close they relied on each other especially Sasuke to Itachi. Something like that happening was bound to destroy Sasuke.

The mission had been tiring that was for certain but at least he got back before the storm came in. He could see it in the sky it would be here soon. Kakashi made his way inside to speak with Lady Tsunade and let her know that he was back from his mission. He had no doubt in his mind that he would be given another one that's how it was since the attack on Konoha. He couldn't say he was complaining he knew it was important to get money to fix Konoha but at the same time he would really like to sleep in his own bed. He didn't even bother knocking on the door he truly was too tired to care right in that moment. Besides he didn't sense anyone else in the room other than Tsunade.

Sure enough there she was asleep on a pile of paperwork. Kakashi slammed the door and it caused her to snap her head up.

"What I'm awake"

"I'm working my ass off and you're in here sleeping."

"Kakashi oh good you're back."

"Ya I'm back and the mission was a success."

"Good I'm glad to hear that there's something I need to discuss with you."

"How is my team doing first?"

"That's what I need to talk to you about its Sasuke."

"What about him?"

"Something has happened a week ago a Sound ninja came into Konoha the night that you left for your mission. We didn't find out until the next day that Sasuke he's been kidnapped by the Sound."

"What!"

"I put Shikamaru on the mission to retrieve him he found Naruto, Kiba, Shino and Neji to go with him. That was a week ago and they haven't returned yet."

"You sent a bunch of Genins and a new Chounin on a mission to retrieve Sasuke back from the Sound where Orochimaru is. What the hell were you thinking?"

"I didn't have a choice I had no one else to go after him. It's been a week now and no one has seen them yet. I was going to send out a team to look for them but seeing as you are here my guess is you'd like to be the one to go and look for them."

"I'll get my hounds on trying to track their scents. You should have sent for me you should have put a Jounin on this even Iruka would have been better than a bunch of kids who have never done this before. There's no telling what Orochimaru will do to Sasuke he could be dead for all we know all of them could be dead."

"I had no one else Shikamaru was the best option I had Konoha can't be left unprotected like this you know that."

"So you just sacrifice Sasuke's life did it ever occur to you what would happen to Konoha if Orochimaru gets his hands on the Sharigan?"

"Of course it did but I didn't have anyone else."

"Ya well hopefully the storm doesn't wash away any scent trace that is out there. I can't believe you would put them all in this kind of danger."

With that Kakashi stormed out he was furious at Tsunade's actions there was no telling what Sasuke had been put through. They all could be trapped in the Sound for all they knew. Kakashi had to hurry he needed to find them before it was too late if it already wasn't. He performed his hand seals for his summoning technique and called upon his hounds. He needed their nose to track and scents from the kids that they could. He had to pray that the storm that was on the way wouldn't wash everything away but he feared the worst.

"What's up boss?"

"Pukkun I need you all to track any scents from Shikamaru, Sasuke, Kiba, Neji or Naruto. They could be bleeding so look for blood even just find them. I'm heading towards the Sound so look in that direction hurry."

The hounds didn't need to know any more than that. They knew that when Kakashi was all business it was an emergency. Kakashi headed off in the direction of the Sound and just as he left the gates the sky opened up.

"We gotta get out of this storm!" Kiba yelled

Kiba, Naruto, Shikamaru, Shino, and Neji had been travelling in one of the worst thunderstorms they had seen all year. They had been in this storm for almost an hour now and it was getting worse. At first they thought they would be able to get out of it the further they travelled but the storm moved fast.

"Kiba is right we need to find cover he can't be out in this!" Shikamaru yelled.

The storm was so loud they had to yell at each other just to be heard even though they were just inches apart from each other. They were travelling back to Konoha and got hit by a storm just minutes after completing their mission. They were running through the forest and it was becoming difficult to find a place to take cover from the storm.

"He can't take much more of this we need to find a place to hide now!" Naruto yelled

The "He" they were referring to was an unconscious and badly beaten Sasuke. His body was serverly injured and he was being carried by Naruto and Neji. He had been taken by the Sound and they were given the mission of retrieving him. Only the mission got more and more complicated when Sasuke was already locked in the Sound before they could reach him. They were hoping they hadn't made it all the way back that they could fight his kidnappers on the journey to the Sound. If they were able to fight them in the forest they stood a better chance and Sasuke would be able to fight. Now here they are looking for any form of shelter they can use to get out of the storm with a dying Sasuke.

"Over there! There's a cave!" Shino yelled

They looked to where Shino was pointing and made their way down towards the cave. They would need to check it out first and make sure it was empty and danger free from any animals or a cave in. Neji and Naruto stood back with Sasuke as the others checked out the cave.

"It's Safe!" Shikamaru yelled

Neji and Naruto went over and they gentle laid Sasuke down on the ground. They all went to work thinking of what they needed to do. A fire was key in order to keep them warm and to get dry. Shino went to work on building a fire for Naruto he just sat there placing Sasuke's head on his lap. It was weird for him to watch Shino start a fire in their group they really used Sasuke to start it, with his fire techniques it was just quick and easy. The other groups didn't have that they had to use matches and flint to start it. Once the fire was started the others began to remove their jackets and ring them out. Then they used rocks that were hanging out of the wall of the cave and placed their jackets on them to dry.

Once that was done they turned to Sasuke. His clothes were soaking wet from the storm and his blood. They needed to come off or he would get sick. Neji was the only one with a bag he looked through it to find the blanket he brought. He always has one just in case and in this situation it would come in handy to wrap it around Sasuke.

"We need to get those clothes off from him. I brought a blanket we can use to wrap around him." Neji said

From being in the cave they didn't have to yell just to hear each other anymore. The storm was getting worse but at least they were finally inside and on their way to getting dry. Shikamaru moved closer and bent down in front of Sasuke so he could start to remove his shirt. He was about to start to remove Sasuke's shirt when Naruto spoke.

"Don't I don't think we should be doing this."

"Naruto we need to remove his clothes if we leave him in wet clothes he'll get sick, In his condition he can't be getting sick." Neji explained

"I know but after what just happened we shouldn't be touching him. He wouldn't want us touching him."

"Naruto we need to take the clothes off at least his shirt and we can wrap the blanket around him. He can't get sick Sasuke would understand that. We also need to try and stop some of this bleeding we don't know how bad his injuries really are. I'll be gentle I promise." Shikamaru said

Naruto nodded his head and started to stroke Sasuke's hair. Shikamaru began to remove Sasuke's shirt he slowly lifted it over Sasuke's head to make sure that he didn't hurt him anymore then he already was. Shikamaru wasn't worried about Sasuke waking up he knew that he wouldn't no matter what at this point. After taking off his shirt Shikamaru handed it to Kiba and Kiba rang it out. Everyone took notice of Sasuke's injuries when they heard Shikamaru sigh. Sasuke was covered in bruises, cuts, broken bones and blood. Every time Sasuke took a breath blood would come out from his ribs. Shikamaru knew it would be from his lung being punctured. They needed to try and stop it somehow. The problem was no one in the cave was a medic.

"Ok we need to try and stop this bleeding from his lung somehow. He's got a punctured lung he's bleeding out."

"How can we possibly stop something like that? We're not medics we don't know how to do that or have anything to even use." Naruto said

"Naruto I need you to stop freaking out we can figure this out we just need to stop him from bleeding out. Does anyone have anything that we can use to clamp down on his lung?" Shikamaru asked

Everyone started to go through their pockets Neji went through his bag to try and find anything that could work. Neji found a hair elastic and tweezers in his bag from Tenten on the last mission. He had forgotten she put them in his bag.

"I got something that can work."

Neji took the elastic and wrapped it around the open end of the tweezers to make it so they can shut tight. He then handed them over to Shikamaru so he can use it to clamp down on the bleed. Shikamaru carefully inserted a finger inside Sasuke's side carefully he moved it around till he found the spot that was causing the bleed. He then used his other hand with the tweezers and clamped them down on the puncture as tight as he could. Once he made sure that it was secure enough to let go he removed his finger and left the tweezers in its place. Shikamaru looked down at his hands they we covered in Sasuke's blood. He was bleeding really bad he didn't know how much longer they really had.

"There's blood running down his thighs." Kiba said

Everyone turned and looked at the blood that kept pouring out of Sasuke. They all knew in that moment that Sasuke was dying.

"Look we need to focus we have to get word out to Konoha somehow." Shikamaru said

"Shino what about your beetles?" Neji asked

"No in this storm they will just wash away."

"Kiba can you track any scents in this weather?" Shikamaru asked

"No the storm is too strong. We won't be able to pick anything up."

"One of us has to go out there and find help he needs help that we can't give him." Naruto said

"I'll go Kiba can't track scents he won't be able to find his way back here. If I leave a beetle behind my other beetles can track its scent and find you. As long as the beetle doesn't get wet it'll work to find you." Shino said

"Someone has to be out looking for us I don't know how long we've been gone but it's been more than a day. Someone has to be looking for us by now." Neji said

"Shino you go and be careful and remember hurry he doesn't have much time." Shikamaru said

"I'll hurry as much as possible."

With Shino grabbed his jacket and left the cave and into the storm once again. Sasuke was counting on him to find some help anyone would be helpful at this point. What Neji said was correct they had been gone longer than a day someone must be out looking for them by now. All he had to do was find someone and fast.

"Naruto pull him over to your chest we need to keep him warm." Neji explained

Gently Naruto pulled Sasuke over with the help of Shikamaru who was still kneeling down next to Sasuke. They pulled him over so he was now laying in between Naruto's legs against his chest. Sasuke's body was freezing between being in the Sound and the storm. Sasuke started to make small groans he was starting to wake up.

"What do we do if he wakes up?" Kiba couldn't help but ask.

"What do you mean?" Naruto asked

"If he wakes up he's going to feel all the pain as appose to when he's passed out. So what are we routing for? For him to stay passed out or to be awake?"

"Right now if he's awake we know he's alive. I think with his injuries being awake is probably better. I don't know for certain I'm not a medic I didn't even pay that much attention in the academy when we went over that part." Shikamaru said

Sasuke started coughing violently once again. His body was shaking from all the trauma he had been through not to mention the serious loss of blood. His skin was pale and covered in bruises underneath all the blood that the rain didn't wash away.

"Breath Sasuke nice deep breaths." Naruto said as he gently rubbed Sasuke's chest to try and help with the coughing.

Sasuke slowed the coughing down but he was having difficulty breathing. His breaths were coming out with a wheeze to them. There was blood coming out from his mouth even more now. Though from the damaged done to it or from the coughing they didn't know. Slowly his eyes began to flutter open as a wall of pain hit him.


	7. Chapter 7

"Ahhhhhhhhh"

Sasuke screamed as the pain hit him full force. He couldn't take it he was squirming in Naruto's arms trying to get away from the pain. His whole body hurt and his mind couldn't handle it anymore. The pain was like nothing he had ever felt before in his life. Naruto was trying his best to hold Sasuke still he didn't know if holding him still would do more damage then good but he couldn't let Sasuke move around too much for that he knew would make his injuries worse.

"Sasuke calm down you'll make your injuries worse." Naruto said trying to get Sasuke to stay still.

Sasuke was still moving around he couldn't help it, it all just hurt so much it was truly unbearable.

"Sasuke look at me" Shikamaru said

Sasuke hadn't even realized that his eyes were closed in that moment he realised that he didn't know where he was if he was still trapped in the Sound or not. If he was still in the Sound he was bound to die and in that moment he really didn't care if he did at least the pain would be over. Slowly he opened his eyes to see Shikamaru in front of him.

"Take a few deep breaths and just listen to me ok. We're in a cave right now somewhere in between Konoha and the Sound. We're no longer in the Sound we got you out. I know you're in a lot of pain and you can't handle much more, but I need you to stay as still as possible. With your injuries your at too great of a risk to bleed out. You're lung was punctured so we had to improvise we used tweezers to clamp it down. So I need you top stay as still as possible."

Sasuke tried to get as comfortable as he could so not as much weight was on his backside. That's when he noticed that he wasn't wearing a shirt and Shino was missing. The look on Sasuke's face told Shikamaru what he was thinking.

"Try not to talk you need your strength. When we left the Sound we got caught in a storm you can hear it still going on. We stopped once we found this cave. I had to take your shirt off to help take care of your lung and it was soaked. We can't risk you getting sick you know how bad that would be. Shino went to try and find help hopefully he is back soon and we'll get you help and back to Konoha."

Sasuke gave a small nod he was in way too much pain to even blink little lone do anything else. Naruto could feel him shaking in his arms and he wasn't even sure of what he should say if anything. He didn't know what was best in this situation or what was best for Sasuke at all in that moment. He looked to Shikamaru to Neji to Kiba for someone to tell him what he should be doing or saying. Sasuke was just in so much pain he didn't know what he could do that would help him out even just slightly.

"Sasuke I know it's hard but you should just try and sleep. It'll help you escape the pain for a while and I'm sure Shino will be back soon with some help." Kiba said

"He's right Sasuke just close your eyes and try to sleep thru this. Hopefully soon we'll be back in Konoha safe." Neji said

Sasuke tried to give a small smile but the pain in his jaw wouldn't let him. He knew they were trying to make him feel better, but they knew they couldn't and he knew if help didn't come soon he would be dead. Sasuke closed his eyes hoping that his exhaustion would be greater then the pain he was in. Shikamaru moved over to the other side of the cave next to Neji and Kiba. He sat down and the others followed him there was no point in standing around waiting for Shino to come back. They sat there in silence for a good hour just watching as Sasuke struggled to breath and fight the pain off to fall asleep. The others kept looking back and forth between each other each trying to figure out how to help. Shikamaru was trying to think of a way that would help put Sasuke to sleep. Sasuke was a guy that relied on his brain so if he could get his brain to focus on something other then the pain that should give him the chance he needs to fall asleep. The problem was he couldn't ask Sasuke questions because he was too weak to talk. Maybe if they all just started talking about anything Sasuke listening would be enough to help ease his mind from the pain.

"Neji how is your relationship with Hinata going?" Shikamaru asked

Neji looked over to Shikamaru with a look of confusion on his face. Shikamaru just shot his eyes over in Sasuke's direction that was all Neji needed for him to understand what Shikamaru was getting at.

"It's slowly coming along it's something that has to be worked on."

"You two aren't really that close eh even when you both were kids?" Kiba asked trying to join in on the conversation. He knew what was going on and he figured joining in on the conversation was better then sitting there scared out of his mind that Sasuke was going to die in front of him.

"When we were younger we didn't really see each other very much. Our families didn't visit each other very much only if we had to. That's how it works in my clan. But now we are working on getting to know each other and get closer. "

"That's good family is important it's good that you two are working on things and getting closer." Shikamaru said

The conversations just like that went back and forth every now and then Naruto would join in. Sasuke had finally fallen to sleep his breathing was laboured and he was still shaking from the cold and pain. At least he was asleep that much they were grateful for. Naruto never let him go he couldn't help but look at him for the past five minutes so many thoughts were running through his head he was sure his mind would explode.

"He was always the strong one in our team." Naruto whispered almost to himself.

"Naruto" Kiba started

"He relied on him so much on missions he always started the fire. He was the best one at fishing he always kept me and Sakura safe whether Kakashi- sensei was there or not. And now I'm terrified that he is going to die in my arms again."

"Again?" Neji asked

"It was our first mission outside of Konoha. Sasuke and I were fighting this ninja Haku he has us trapped in this technique of his with ice mirrors and he was fast. He was too fast for me and almost too fast for Sasuke. He would attack us with throwing needles when he bounced from one mirror to another. I had used up all my chakra and Sasuke was on his last. I ended up passing out and when I came to a few minutes later Sasuke was in front of me with a needle completely through his chest. He risked his life to save mine. He fell and I caught him and a few moments later he was gone. I felt his heartbeat stop he died in my arms."

"He's not going to die Naruto. We wont let him Shino will be back soon with help. Sasuke's strong he has survived this long he will survive this." Shikamaru said

"What if he doesn't? What if he dies in my arms again? He's strong but he's not invincible he can't survive everything. He's in so much pain he can't last long like this."

"Naruto don't talk like that. Sasuke's strong he's a stubborn prick but he's strong as hell. He won't die from this he won't give up. So you can't give up either and neither will we." Kiba said

"Shino will come back soon." Naruto said as he nodded his head in agreement to Kiba. He just had to keep telling himself that to keep his head level Sasuke was counting on him if something happened. Shino will find help and he will come back for them.


	8. Chapter 8

Shino was fighting through the storm to see anything in front of him. The storm was just getting worse and he knew that he had been gone for over an hour now. He didn't feel anyone around him and he didn't even know where exactly he was anymore. He could still feel that the beetle that he left behind was still alive so at the very least he could get back to them. He was hoping to run into someone anyone out here but so far he was coming up empty. The storm was starting to take a serious toll on his body it was becoming difficult to push through the strong wind and power of the storm.

Kakashi had been traveling for hours now in the storm. He was going off of what little scent his hounds were able to pick up. He was also heading in the quickest direction to the Sound he was praying that the boys weren't trapped there for the past week. If they had escaped and been traveling in this storm they made have found a place to hide till it calmed down. The journey would be a long one if Sasuke was injured and this storm would be deadly for him to be in if injured. His body was getting tired from having to fight his way through the storm but he wouldn't stop until he found them. Kakashi was completely lost in his thoughts at the possibilities of what might have happened to Sasuke in the last week. He was hoping that Sasuke had escaped on the way and just might have been disorientated and got lost trying to get back to Konoha. Although he knew that wouldn't be true Sasuke was use to not being inside Konoha he was constantly studying maps so he would never get lost. The best he could hope for was that Sasuke was slightly injured which is why they hadn't returned yet the travel would be hard on an injured party especially with this storm. Pakun came up beside Kakashi and tried his best to keep up with Kakashi's speed.

"Boss we found one of the boys scents coming this way!"

"Which one?"

"Don't know it doesn't even smell human but he has Sasuke's scent all over him!"

"It must be Shino where exactly is he?"

"He's about five minutes ahead of us coming this way!"

"He must be trying to get to Konoha good job Pakun!"

Kakashi pushed himself to go faster he wanted to catch Shino as soon as he could. It shouldn't be too hard as long as Shino doesn't change his position. With the way it was now they were going to head into each other. If Shino moved over or try a different direction they could miss him completely. Sure enough his prays were answered and there was Shino standing in front of him completely soaked to the bone and looked like he was about to pass out from exhaustion. Shino's whole body filled with joy and relief when he say Kakashi standing there in front of him now he could head back to the cave and they were one step closer to getting Sasuke help.

"Kakashi-sensei Sasuke needs help!"

"I know I completed my mission and Tsunade told me about your mission. Where is everyone else?"

"In a cave about an hour or so away from here. Sasuke it's bad he's in bad shape. We didn't get out of the Sound until today!"

"Take me to him!"

Shino nodded then took off with Kakashi right beside him. They hadn't gotten out until today that meant Sasuke had been with Orochimaru for a week straight. There was no telling how bad his injuries would be and if he would even survive. If they sent Shino to find help that meant they didn't think he would live waiting out the storm. Kakashi felt like he couldn't breath the longer they travelled and the closer they got to the cave. Thankfully they were able to keep their heads and Shino left a female beetle behind so he could track them if he had gotten lost. Kakashi knew that Sasuke would be in bad shape after a week in the Sound he was also terrified that Sasuke was going to die.

"It's just a few minutes away now!" Shino said

Kakashi could feel his heart racing at the anxiety of all of this. Not knowing how bad Sasuke would be when he got there if he was even alive still. Part of him was hoping that Sasuke's injuries weren't life threatening and perhaps just a lot of them enough to disturb and worry the younger ninjas. They had never been through anything like this so they would easily over panic at multiple injuries. Kakashi took a couple deep breaths to prepare himself for what he might see but when they finally did enter the cave he didn't expect this. Everyone in the cave was sitting on the ground all around a fire that they had managed to build. There in Naruto's arms was Sasuke. He was asleep but having a hard time breathing, his lips were blue and despite the rain blood still remained on his body along with all of his injuries. Kakashi didn't even know where he would start.

"Sensei"

Kakashi looked over to Naruto who looked like he was about to break down in a stream of tears. The other three in the cave didn't look much better they had been sitting there for hours doing nothing but waiting and watching Sasuke slowly die. Kakashi moved over to where Naruto and Sasuke were sitting in the cave he needed to look Sasuke over and make sure he would be able to wait a little long until the storm was over.

"Naruto I need you to let him go I have to check his injuries."

"No he's in so much pain I can't let him go."

"I'm not going to move him but I need you to let him go so I can see his injuries I need to help him as best that I can."

Naruto nodded and slowly let go of Sasuke so Kakashi could take a look at his injuries though he didn't move him from that spot. He was covered in stab wounds, cuts, burns he had broken bones a pair of tweezers in his side. Kakashi went to touch them but was stopped by Shikamaru speaking.

"You have to leave them in it's all we had to work with. His lung was punctured and he was bleeding out we used them to clamp it down so he wouldn't bleed out, but it seems like it's starting to bleed into his lungs with the way his breathing is."

"What happened?"

"Sasuke was already in the Sound by the time we got there. We were hoping on finding him before the Sound either still traveling by the captor or he got free and was heading back. We found him in a room a torture chamber it looked like he was shackled down to a metal table. His mouth was sown shut he had a stick through his one hand as we were getting the shackles the man came back. He won the fight and we ended up in the cell in the room. I don't know how long we were there for but he just got out today."

"A week you've been gone for a week."

"A week? Sasuke got tortured for a week? How did we miss that much time going by?" Kiba couldn't believe this a what felt like a day was actually a week. No wonder Sasuke was in this bad of shape he had been getting tortured for a week straight.

"This blood on his legs did he get stabbed in his legs?"

No one answered. Kakashi looked up to Naruto then to the other boys they were all quiet which gave Kakashi a very bad feeling. Finally it was Neji that was able to find his voice.

"Before we left we had come up with a plan on how to get out of the cell when the man came back down. He took Sasuke though out of the room for some reason and when he came back down he turned on a television that was attached to a camera that was in a bedroom. Sasuke was on the bed naked and then Orochimaru came in. he tortured Sasuke and raped him. He put barbwire on himself though before so Sasuke's mouth I'm sure is torn apart as well as…. That's why there's blood."

Kakashi looked down at Sasuke the boy had been tortured for a week and then brutally raped and he was still fighting so hard for his life.

"He begged for him to stop but he waited till he left before he cried trying to get his wrists out of the shackles. That's why his one wrist is all cut up and his thumb is broken. He pulled it through but passed out before he could get the other one." Naruto whispered almost to just Kakashi but in the cave that size everyone could hear him.

"You all saw it on the television. With his injuries we can't wait out the storm he'll die. We need to leave now. Konoha is about three hours away so we need to cover him up as much as we can to keep him warm."

"He'll get too sick though."

"Naruto if we don't leave he's going to die here and I won't let that happen. I'll wrap him up tight in the blanket and try to protect him as much as we can from the storm."

"We can use our jackets to help keep the wetness from seeking through the blanket." Shikamaru said

Kakashi nodded then took the blanket and tightly wrapped it around Sasuke's body. With the movement Sasuke began to stir and wake up.

"Shh it's ok Sasuke it's just me Kakashi."

Sasuke tried to speak but nothing came out his mouth and throat was so damaged from the assault he couldn't talk without excruciating pain.

"Don't try to talk. We're in the cave still I'm going to pick you up and we are leaving for Konoha it's three hours away but you can do this. Just hang in there with me I know your in a lot of pain I can give you a sedative so it puts you to sleep and the next time you awake up you'll be in Konoha. Just keep fighting for me ok?"

Sasuke slowly nodded his head. He was so exhausted and relieved to see Kakashi here he knew that he would be ok. That Kakashi wouldn't let anything bad happen to him. Kakashi reached into his pouch and grabbed the sedatives. The good thing was that they dissolve in a persons mouth which worked great for situations such as this. Kakashi didn't know if Sasuke would have the strength to swallow a pill.

"I'm going to put this in your mouth don't swallow it just let it dissolve it will only take a few seconds then within two minutes you'll be asleep."

Sasuke gave a small nod and opened his mouth as much as he could so Kakashi could put the pill on his tongue. Kakashi could see the pain all over Sasuke's face his mouth was killing him and seeing all the blood in his mouth was breaking Kakashi's heart. Sasuke did as Kakashi said and just let the pill dissolve it only took about five seconds and it was done. Kakashi waited till Sasuke was asleep and the sedative took full affect before gently picking Sasuke up in his arms. The boys got up and grabbed their jackets not caring that they would get soaked in the storm and covered Sasuke even more.

"Kiba put yours over his head but don't cover his face so he has room to breath." Kakashi instructed.

Kiba did as Kakashi instructed it covered the side of his face and the top of his head but still left enough room so that he could breath properly. They had to try and prevent as best that they could Sasuke from getting sick. Before leaving Kakashi turned to Pakun once more.

"Go as fast as you can and tell Tsunade to meet us in the hospital and have a team and room ready for him."

"Got it boss."

With that Pakun took off at full speed. Kakashi turned to the boys and gave a nod which is all they needed for them to take off into the storm and head back to Konoha once again.


	9. Chapter 9

Pakun pushed his small body through the powerful storm he knew Kakashi and Sasuke were relying on him. He was exhausted to the fullest by the time he got to Tsunade's office. He walked into the office and dragged his butt up onto her desk he was panting and trying his best to catch his breath.

"Yes?"

Tsunade didn't even know how to take this situation if she should be serious or laugh at how Pakun looked.

"Kakashi found the boys Sasuke is in horrible shape he couldn't wait out the storm. Kakashi has requested that you be at the hospital and get a team and room ready for him."

"Do you know what is wrong with Sasuke?"

"He's covered in injuries, stab wounds, cuts, bruises, burns, his lung was punctured but the boys did their best to repair it. They did say that they had just gotten out of the Sound this morning."

"He was there a week."

Tsunade felt horrible and responsible like she should have done something sooner. She was so concerned about the village getting attacked to forgot what Orochimaru was capable of. She forgot that Sasuke is not just a ninja but he's a twelve year old boy.

"He was also brutally raped Orochimaru apparently wrapped barbwire around himself first."

"How far behind are they?"

"About twenty minutes."

Tsunade got up and went out of her office to get to the hospital to get a team and room in the intensive care ready for Sasuke. Pakun began to drag his ass over to the hospital. Kakashi and the boys were almost at the gates. Kakashi looked down at Sasuke who was still asleep but his breathing was getting worse by the minute. He was shaking now and it was becoming difficult to hold him. Even though they did the best they could to keep him warm and dry he didn't have a doubt that Sasuke would have one hell of a cold or worse from the storm. No one spoke the entire time whether it was from the fact that they didn't have the energy to after fighting in this storm for so long or they just didn't know what to say.

They finally arrived in Konoha and headed straight to the hospital where sure enough Tsunade was standing at the front door with three nurses beside her. Pakun had gotten the strength to find Sakura before he headed over to the hospital so she was there as well along with the other genin and team sensei. Sakura ran to get them knowing they wanted to see their missing team members.

Kakashi went in and Tsunade ran over to see Sasuke. She gently removed Kiba's jacket from his face. She then removed the other jackets so she could open the blanket. Which was covered in blood despite the heavy rain. She couldn't believe what she saw she immediately checked his pulse it was low dangerously low. She turned around and addressed the nurses.

"Find as many heating blankets as you can and three pints of o negative now. Kakashi get him in the room."

Kakashi moved to the room that Tsunade had assigned for Sasuke Tsunade led the way. Once in the room Kakashi didn't hesitate to put Sasuke down on the bed. The other Genin were all surrounding by the door. Kakashi turned to Asuma and Gai.

"Get them out of here and keep them away from the room."

"Get the four boys to see a nurse to check them out as well."

Asuma and Gai nodded then went to work getting the young Genin away from the room. They knew that Kakashi was worried that Sasuke would die. They didn't need to watch that especially at their age.

"What we're just not suppose to go near him we just spent a week with him and now we can't be!" Naruto yelled to Asuma who was practically dragging him away from the room.

"Naruto you have also been gone for a week you all need to get looked at. You were out in that storm without a jacket all four of you are going to be sick. Kakashi needs to be with Sasuke right now and he needs to be able to make decisions that will be best for Sasuke he can't do that with everyone standing around." Asuma tried to explain

"You also don't need to watch as Sasuke is being healed. His injuries are server…"

"Ya we know we were there watching it all happen not being able to do anything about it!" Kiba cut off Gai. The others looked at him it wasn't like him to yell or talk that way especially to an elder.

The room was silent for a few moments Asuma nor Gai knew what to say to them to help them feel better. From the injuries they could tell that Sasuke was tortured and most likely raped and now they just found out they watched it all happen. Sakura was the first to speak up.

"What happened?"

"Sakura…. I'm sorry but Sasuke was…" Naruto started

"Tortured." Shikamaru cut Naruto off it wasn't anyone's business what happened besides that. Not to mention Sasuke wouldn't be able to handle it if everyone knew. Shikamaru didn't even think they should tell him that they knew.

"When we got there he was already in the Sound he was chained up to a metal table. When we were trying to get him out of the chains the man came back and he was stronger then all of us. We were locked away in a cell we finally were able to get out and beat the man then get Sasuke out. The storm though forced us to stop and we just found out that we were gone a week. So Sasuke had been getting tortured for a week."

Before Shikamaru continued he looked over to Naruto, Neji and Kiba as if to tell them to keep quiet.

"Sasuke never left that room so we saw him being tortured but that's all that happened Orochimaru never got his hands on him."

The others looked at each other they knew what Shikamaru was doing and they remained silent it was what was best for Sasuke. Asuma and Gai looked at each other they knew Shikamaru was lying they could tell but at least the truth would be kept to the minimum with this. They saw the nurses run back into the room with heating blankets and blood for Sasuke then they closed the door once again.

Tsunade had already begun to heal Sasuke's most life threatening wounds. She looked like she was about to cry at how bad Sasuke was. She began to heal his behind from the brutal rape that was where he was loosing the most blood. Once the nurses came back she instructed one to heal his punctured lung the others went to work on getting the blood set up and the heating blankets going.

"He's going to have a serious case of pneumonia that will need to be watched and medicated. He's also going to be in a great deal of pain. Hopefully with pain medication and sedatives he'll be able to handle it. He's been able to handle the pain without anything for a week so he's tough."

"Are you saying he'll make it?"

"If he survives the night he'll make it. His injuries though will take a while to heal at least six months with no missions no training. He'll have to slowly work up to walking around for more then five minutes at a time. His wrist needs to be in a cast for six weeks his ribs ten of them are broken so that will take three to four weeks to heal fully. The rest are minor injuries just a lot of them. The burns are first degree the stab wounds are shallow and can be healed easily. His behind will be sore for a good month it was brutal and extreme."

"You need to check his mouth the barbwire was there as well he couldn't talk."

Tsunade gave a nod and when she was finished with Sasuke's butt she moved over to his mouth. His jaw was partially dislocated which would account for the speaking problems. She quickly healed that though a very large bruise would be there for a few weeks. She slowly opened Sasuke's mouth and couldn't believe what she saw. She shock her head slowly in disbelief. It was shredded even the back of his throat he wont be able to talk very well or loud till it was fully healed. Then there was the issue with Orochimaru who would be looking for Sasuke by now.

"He can't be living alone right now or being alone. Orochimaru will not like that he is gone. I'll be having ANBU all around the hospital and around this room."

"I'll be here with him till he is allowed to leave then he'll be living with me. I can get Iruka to get a room ready for him at my place I'm sure he won't mind."

"Good I'll get send someone to get him for you I'm sure it would be better coming from you. Also the rape stays between us we don't need everyone knowing."

Once Sasuke was in the bed under a few heating blankets and the blood IV was hooked up they nurses left as well as Tsunade. She wanted to make sure the others we're looked after as well just in case. Kakashi let out a sigh he couldn't believe this was happening to Sasuke. He looked so pale and sick lying there. A few moments later Asuma and Gai came into the room.

"I know your going to say no to this but do you want to go home and get changed take a shower?" Gai asked

"No I'm fine."

"Do you need anything?" Asuma asked

"Ya actually could you find Iruka for me I need to talk to him and if one of you wouldn't mind going to my apartment and getting me a change of clothes please."

"Sure I'll go and I'll get Iruka to." Gai said

"Thanks"

Once Gai left Kakashi turned to Asuma

"How are they holding up?"

"Well Sakura asked what happened and I think Naruto was about to tell her that Sasuke got rapped but Shikamaru stepped in and hide it from them. I think that's for the best especially for Sasuke."

"Ya it is that's good though something needs to be done they watched the whole thing. They need to talk to someone about it."

"Ya I'll get them to come with me to dinner and we can all talk about it. I'm sure Naruto will talk to Iruka about it more."

"That's fine Iruka is smart he'll know what happened once he sees Sasuke. I'm not worried about him acting weird around him either."

"He looks so sick. How he survived is truly amazing."

"Ya he's not going to be able to do much for six months Tsunade said. He's going to go insane plus he can't be alone with Orochimaru coming after him. How am I going to protect him from that snake?"

"We'll do it Kakashi I'll be here with you same as Gai and Iruka we won't let him take Sasuke again. We'll keep him safe no matter what the cost."

Kakashi grabbed a chair and pulled it over to the bedside and sat down Asuma did the same. He meant what he said he wasn't going to just leave Sasuke alone in this nor Kakashi. He didn't have any parents and they other sensei's had taken it upon themselves to keep an eye out for him. Even though he was young Sasuke had many strong and dangerous enemies out there just waiting to attack him.


	10. Chapter 10

Gai headed over to find Iruka before going to get a change of clothes for Kakashi. He knew Iruka would be at the school so he went straight there. Sure enough Iruka was in class so he knocked on the door and entered once he saw Iruka look at the door.

"Iruka can I speak with you for a moment out in the hall?"

"Sure and while I am gone I want everyone to read pages 22 and 23."

Iruka walked out into the hall with Gai it wasn't like this to happen his guess would be something knew happened with Sasuke and the boys. Once the door was closed Iruka turned his attention to Gai.

"What's happening?"

"Kakashi returned with all of the boys they are at the hospital right now."

"How are they?"

"Shino, Kiba, Neji, Shikamaru and Naruto are alright except they will have on hell of a cold from the storm."

"And Sasuke?"

"He's not ok they were there for the whole week he had been tortured during that time. He's in intensive care and how extensive his injuries are I don't know. Kakashi wanted you to come down he needs to speak to you. I am also going to get him a change of clothes he's soaking wet and will probably get a cold as well."

"I have clothes here for him actually. I was going to return them once I saw him after his mission but he left to find Sasuke right away. I'll dismiss the class and I'll come down with you I want to see Sasuke and the others as well."

"Alright I'll wait out here."

Iruka turned around and entered the classroom again. He turned to the students and told them they were in luck that something had come up and he was needed so it was an early day. The students filled out of the room and Iruka grabbed Kakashi's clothes then went with Gai off to the hospital.

Kakashi and Asuma were sitting in the hospital room waiting for when Sasuke would wake up. Tsunade didn't give him another sedative the one that Kakashi had given him was still working and she didn't want to risk any danger to him by giving him another. After thirty minutes the door opened and Gai and Iruka walked into the room. Iruka froze when he saw Sasuke lying in that hospital bed he barely looked alive. He was so pale and covered in bruises and that's just what he saw that wasn't underneath the blankets. Gai walked over to the other side of the bed that Kakashi and Asuma weren't on sitting in the chair. Iruka looked at Kakashi for some form of relief.

"Take a seat Iruka it'll help believe it or not."

Iruka went over and placed Kakashi's clothes on the foot on the bed then sat in the remaining free chair beside Gai.

"Is he going to live?"

"Tsunade said if he makes it through the night he'll be out of risk of death but he won't be able to do any missions or training for at least six months."

"Was he… did Orochimaru rape him?"

"He did the boys told me in the cave they watched it on a T.V. in the room that they were being held in. that's how Sasuke broke his wrist he pulled it through the shackle but he lost consciousness before he could get the other one free."

"Oh god they watched it what are we going to do about them? Where are they?"

"Tsunade sent them home after they got looked at. All of them were fine Sakura took Naruto out to get something to eat. The others needed to go home and get something to eat and sleep. None of them had eaten anything or slept in that week they were exhausted and when they get home they will realise that." Asuma said

"What's going to happen with Sasuke? Orochimaru will be coming after him again he's not going to just let this go."

"That is why I wanted to speak with you. ANBU will be all around this place but when Sasuke is realised he'll be staying with me. I can't leave him here alone even with ANBU around Orochimaru will be able to take them out. I need a favour from you."

"Sure anything"

"Could you please go to my place and get the spare bedroom set up so he can be there please."

"Of course I'll get some of Sasuke's things from his place that might help him ease into this. He won't really like living with someone after so long."

"It will be different for him but given the situation he'll be more content staying with me then being alone."

"What is the plan for Orochimaru?" Gai asked

"I have no idea realistically in a fight I can't win against him the best I could do is hold out long enough for Sasuke to get away."

"None of us stand a chance against him." Asuma said

"This is something we'll need to discuss with Tsunade he needs to be taken care of otherwise he'll constantly hunt Sasuke." Gai said

"For right now I don't think Sasuke should be alone he should be here with at least two Jounin at a time just in case." Iruka said

"I agree." Asuma said

"We also need to talk to the four boys about what they can't tell people. It wouldn't help Sasuke any if everyone knew that he was raped. I honestly don't think he should know that the boys know it. Sasuke will be having a hard time with all of this and the less he knows that know I think the better it will be for him." Kakashi said

The conversation came to a stop when Sasuke began to make small noises from the bed. The sedative was wearing off and Sasuke was beginning to wake up.


	11. Chapter 11

Sasuke started to wake up his mind was fuzzy and the first thing that he could feel was heat. His body was warm and he was lying on something soft so he wasn't in the cave anymore. His mind was all fuzzy and his head was pounding his body was in pain to go with it. Slowly he started to open his eyes though even doing just that simple task his body regretted it. The bright light hurt his eyes and made them burn after being in the dark for so long. Sasuke let out a whimper and closed his eyes again.

Asuma got up and turned a couple of the lights off so they wouldn't hurt Sasuke's eyes. Kakashi stood up and moved over to the bed.

"Sasuke it's ok it's Kakashi. It's ok you can open your eyes the lights are turned down."

Sasuke slowly began to open his eyes again slowly the room wasn't as bright. It took a few moments for his eyes to adjust to everything. Kakashi was beside him sitting on the bed Asuma was over near the end of the bed and Iruka and Gai were to his left. He was confused as to what was going on he assumed he was in the hospital at Konoha but how he got there he couldn't remember. The pain was getting worse the longer he stayed awake.

"What…"

Sasuke started coughing talking was really difficult and painful for him to do.

"Don't try and talk your not ready yet for that yet. Can we get a minute?"

Kakashi asked the others in the room. He needed to tell Sasuke about what happened and he thought it would be best to do alone. The others understood and they got up and left the room closing the door behind them; however, they didn't go far they wanted to make sure they were there in case something happened. Kakashi sat down on the bed and looked at Sasuke. He was exhausted and in obvious pain but he was trying to handle it without letting someone know about the pain.

"You spent a week in the Sound. Naruto, Neji, Shikamaru, Shino and Kiba got you out earlier in the morning. I found Shino trying to get to Konoha in the middle of the storm you and the others were hiding in a cave from it. When I found Shino he brought me to you I made the decision that you couldn't wait any longer and brought you here with the others. You are now safe in the hospital are you with me?"

Sasuke gave a small nod.

"Your injuries are server you shouldn't be talking for a few days with your mouth being so damaged. You have multiple bruises the stab wounds and cuts were healed. You have ten broken ribs so you need to be careful of them. Your wrist is in a cast and will be for six weeks. You won't be able to do any missions or training for six month with all your injuries. I need to ask you something do you remember being alone with Orochimaru?"

Sasuke couldn't help it at the mere mention of the name he started to cry in that moment Kakashi got his answer. He moved over and gently moved Sasuke so he was now lying in his lap. He knew that he couldn't touch Sasuke in a lot of places at risk of hurting him more but Sasuke curled up against him and let it all out. He couldn't handle the memories and he didn't think he ever would. Kakashi sat there stroking Sasuke's hair and gently soothing him. After a good twenty minutes Sasuke's crying died down.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you but I won't make that mistake twice. I'll be here for as long as you are to keep you safe. Once you can leave the hospital you'll be staying with me for a while. You'll need help with your injuries and I won't let anything happen to you."

Sasuke gave a nod but Kakashi could feel him shaking. After a few moments Kakashi heard a whimper the pain was reaching its maximum level and it wasn't something that Sasuke could handle for long.

"Sasuke are you ok?"

Sasuke shook his head no "Hurts"

Kakashi began to run his hand through Sasuke's hair.

"Iruka!"

Iruka and the others came into the room and saw Sasuke in Kakashi's lap in a great deal of pain. Iruka knew what Kakashi wanted immediately and he left to find Tsunade. Gai and Asuma came over to the bed and looked at Kakashi. Sasuke was in an unbearable amount of pain. He was having a hard time staying still he was trying to escape the pain. It felt like hours before Iruka returned with Tsunade. Tsunade went over to Sasuke and saw how much pain he was in.

"Can you give him something?" Kakashi asked

"I can give him a sedative to put him back to sleep or I can give him some pain medication."

"What kind of medication?"

"Morphine"

"Lets try the sedative before giving him that kind of drug."

"Alright"

Tsunade grabbed a syringe in put it into Sasuke's I.V once it was empty she threw it in the safety bin.

"He should be back asleep within a couple of minutes."

Kakashi gave a nod and Tsunade waited till Sasuke was indeed asleep once again.

"The sedative might not relieve all the pain if his heart rate goes to high I'll need to give him a low dose of morphine."

"Is the pain as bad as you thought it would be?"

"No it's worse he's asleep right now but his heart rate isn't in normal levels his body is fighting hard but the pain and injuries are very server. If the morphine doesn't work that only levels us with one option."

"Which is?"

"A medical induce coma. I would put him into a coma and when his body has healed and the pain has lessened I would then take him out of it, but lets only do that if it's the only option."

With that Tsunade left once again leaving the men alone with a sleeping Sasuke curled up in Kakashi's lap.


	12. Chapter 12

Shikamaru walked through the front door of his home. He was exhausted, starving and in desperate need of a hot shower. He had no idea how he was going to get the images out of his head from the past week. He was able to hold it together to get them out and back safely thanks to Kakashi, but he didn't know what would happen when he finally sat down in the quiet. His mother and father came running to the front door. His mother instantly ran up to him and gave him a huge hug and it seemed like she was never going to let go and for Shikamaru in that moment he really didn't want her to. When she finally did his father gave him a hug as well.

"Come sit down and tell us what happened."

"I'll make you some food you looked starved." His mother said

Shikamaru just gave a nod and walked over to the couch his clothes were still damp and he was sure he would hear some comment about it later from his mother. His father sat down on the chair next to him he looked his son over. He was wet, he looked exhausted, and he had some bruising that he could see. They were gone for a week which wasn't that long of a mission considering he went to the Sound.

"So what happened?"

"It was horrible. We left too late Sasuke was already in the Sound by the time we caught up…I don't even know what I'm allowed to tell you."

"Shikamaru you know I would never say anything and I'm sure no one will give you a hard time for telling your father what happened on a mission."

"When we got there he was down in this room chained up to a metal table. He was beaten, had a stake through the palm of his one hand and he had his mouth stitched closed. We were able to remove the stake and stitches but we couldn't get the restraints off in time. The man that took him showed back up we fought him, but he was too strong and before we realised it we were locked up in a cell in the same room. We didn't even know how long we had been there for apparently it was a week. He was tortured the whole time right in front of us. When the man finally left I tried to get Sasuke to talk we all did but he couldn't stay awake any longer he was in too much pain. We came up with a plan that when the man came back Shino would use his beetles to get the key so we could get out of the cage."

Shikamaru took a deep breath in and slowly let it out. This was getting harder and harder to tell his father the closer it got to what Orochimaru did. He really didn't know how he would even tell his father what he saw. How do you describe watching a comrade get brutally raped and completely break down. Shikamaru's father placed a hand on his son's shoulder to help him he could tell something happened and it was becoming difficult for him to continue.

"The man he unchained Sasuke and said that Orochimaru was back and it was time for him to be alone with him. We didn't get a chance to do anything before he left with Sasuke. When he came back he opened a cabinet and reviled a television. We thought what we had just saw was horrible but it was nothing compared to what Orochimaru did to him."

Shikamaru put his head in his hands the images kept coming back to him and he found himself wishing he knew how to forget. His father knew what was coming he really didn't need to hear his son say it. They saw Sasuke get raped and that was something that really held no words of comfort.

"How did you escape?"

"Shino got the key and we fought as hard as we could. Once he was down he left got Sasuke out, but when he left the Sound there was a huge storm. We finally found a cave to hide in Shino went to find help he found Kakashi. We tried our best to help the bleeding he was bleeding out from his one lung we did our best to stop it and to keep him warm. He was in so much pain when he woke up we didn't know if we should keep him awake or let him sleep. Finally we figured if he was sleeping then he wouldn't feel the pain. Kakashi knew we couldn't wait any longer so we wrapped him up as much as we could to protect him from the rain. Now he's in the hospital and we don't know if he'll make it through the night."

Shikamaru was now in full tears just remembering everything that had happened in a week. His father moved over to the couch and gave his son a hug and held him as h cried. This was all too much to ask for children to go through. Tsunade really should have sent adults to get Sasuke they would have been able to handle the situation.

"I thought he was going to die. He went through so much pain there's no way someone can survive that much pain. He's going to die and we couldn't help him."

"Shhh you did everything you could do. You got him out, you got him to survive till help came and you got him to the hospital. You all saved his life it'll be okay he survived this long he'll survive through the night and the next one after that. You just have to have hope and give him time he'll survive this you all will."

"What if he doesn't?"

"You can't think like that. Just stay positive I know it's hard but after you get some food and sleep you'll feel better. It's just going to take time."

A few minutes later his mother walked in with some hot chicken noddle soup and crackers. He had been gone a week and she didn't know when he ate last so she didn't want to upset his stomach. After eating he thanked his parents then headed to take a long hot shower before he went to bed. The whole time in the shower he couldn't stop thinking about Sasuke and what kind of pain he is in. If he woke up at all, if he was scared and in unbearable pain. After a good half hour of hot water on his sore and tired body he got out dried off and put on clean clothes. He then said good night to his parents and went into his room. He curled up into his warm comfy bed and was surprised at how fast his fell asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

It had been a few hours and Sasuke's heart rate kept climbing even though he was on a sedative. Tsunade had explained that the sedative would make it so his body didn't feel the pain but the stress of it was still very much there. Kakashi was very quickly reaching the point where he would need to make a decision about Sasuke's health. Tsunade walked into the room to check on Sasuke's heart rate once again she had been doing it every half hour. She looked down at the printed off paper and shook her head.

"His heart is taking a serious toll from the pain. We need to talk about other options now if we don't do something his heart could fail."

"So what options do we have?" Kakashi asked

"We can try giving him morphine but that might not ease the stress on his heart. Honestly at this point I know it may seem extreme but the best treatment right now would be to place him in a medical induced coma."

"How would that work?"

"It's a simple drug that I can give him it will place him in a coma. I will need to hook up a ventilator to help him breath. The coma will allow his body to heal without the stress on his heart. I know its extreme especially for his age but we are at the risk of his heart failing and in his weakened state I might not be able to get it to start again."

"How long will he need to be in the coma for?"

"My best guess would be at least three weeks then I can start to take him out of it. The longer he is in the coma the more time his body has to heal without the stress on his heart. We can't keep him in too long though or his muscles will weaken and the ventilator will become an issue if his lungs get too use to it being there."

"Is this my decision to make?"

"It is with you being his sensei and he has no family his medical decisions are on you."

"Alright do what you think is best for him."

"I'll get the things I need and the paperwork for you to place him in the medical induced coma. I'll leave him in it for three weeks then take him out of it. He'll still be in pain but it will be manageable for him and we can always give him some lighter pain medication instead of morphine."

Kakashi gave a nod and Tsunade made her way out the door to get all the materials she needed for the procedure. She really didn't like putting people into comas especially when they were as young as Sasuke, but in this case it truly was the best option for Sasuke's recovery. Kakashi couldn't help but look at Sasuke he looked so young and weak he still couldn't believe that this had happened to him. Iruka had left to get Kakashi's guest bedroom ready for whenever Sasuke was able to leave the hospital. Gai and Asuma were still in the room with Kakashi they didn't want to leave him alone with Orochimaru out there. After a few minutes Tsunade came back in with her supplies. She handed Kakashi the paperwork for the procedure then she started to place Sasuke in the coma.

After fifteen minutes Sasuke was hooked up to the ventilator and he was in the coma now all they had to do was wait it out. With the next three weeks they needed to come up with some kind of plan for Orochimaru. They couldn't just wait around for him to attack Sasuke couldn't handle that. It would only do more damage to his mental state just sitting around scared and wondering when he will be attacking. The problem was Tsunade knew that she really didn't have any ninja that could handle going one on one with Orochimaru. She herself wasn't even sure she could bring down Orochimaru. Whoever she sent out to take him down would most likely come to death. She knew she had to try to do something that they couldn't just sit around waiting for him to attack. She would have to try something and go from there.

"We need to try and handle Orochimaru while Sasuke is in the coma. We can't just wait around for him to attack we need to take a stand."

"What do you have in mind Hokaga-sama?" Gai asked

"I'm going to gather a team of ANBU and see if they can defeat Orochimaru."

"You don't think they will though." Asuma stated

"No I don't honestly I'm not even sure I would win going up against Orochimaru but we have to try something. We can't afford to just wait around for him to make the first move."

"I don't think Sasuke could handle the mental torture of never know when Orochimaru will be attacking. He'll constantly be afraid and looking over his shoulder." Kakashi said

"That's also part of the reason why I feel that we need to try and do something about this. Sasuke is stable so I am going to go and look into a few options if a problem does come up someone will come and get me and we can take care of it. Try and get some rest yourselves especially you Kakashi."

With that Tsunade walked out of the room she had business she needed to figure out. The sooner she could come up with a team to go after Orochimaru the sooner she would have an idea at how bad dealing with Orochimaru will be. Asuma then turned his attention to Kakashi.

"Tsunade is right Kakashi you should go home get showered and some rest."

"I'm fine."

"No you are not we can stay here with him. You need to rest you can't just sit here for three weeks straight. You ending up in the hospital isn't going to do Sasuke any good. Orochimaru won't come into the village himself you know that we can handle his goons. Not to mention there's ANBU all around the hospital Tsunade had made sure that Sasuke will be protected. Go get some sleep take a hot shower and get warm so you don't end up sick next to him."

Kakashi didn't want to give in to his needs he didn't want to leave Sasuke here alone especially now that he was in a coma. However he knew Asuma and Gai wouldn't leave this alone so letting out a sigh he gave a nod and got up to head over to his apartment.


	14. Chapter 14

It had been almost three weeks to the day since Kakashi had given permission to put Sasuke into a medical coma. He had done what Gai and Asuma said and went home to get cleaned up and rest for a couple of hours. The next day he had to explain to the other Genin what happened with Sasuke minus the sexual assault and that he would be in a coma for a few weeks. Naruto, Shikamaru, Shino, Neji and Kiba all looked horrible it was clear that they didn't sleep much and had some form of a cold starting. Kakashi did his best to try and comfort the others especially after what they saw it wouldn't be easy to get over watching your commrad get raped. Iruka and the other sensei's have been helpful with the Genin. They talked with them and made sure they were around whenever they were needed. None of them have gone out on a mission for Tsunade didn't think it would be a good idea to have them out of the village with Orochimaru out there still. She didn't know if he would come after them for getting Sasuke out of the Sound. It was a risk she wasn't willing to take. Tsunade had sent in multiple teams of ANBU to the Sound to try and defeat Orochimaru but there was no luck. Each team was eliminated easily and after three weeks of trying Tsunade finally made the call the stop sending in her ninja. They were only getting killed no one in Konoha was strong enough to beat Orochimaru.

Kakashi had made the decision when he went home that night after putting Sasuke in a coma that he wasn't going to stop at nothing to protect Sasuke. Which is why he made the decision to seek outside help Kakashi reached out to the only person he thought would be able to kill Orochimaru and might care enough to protect Sasuke. He had sent out a message but so far he hadn't heard anything back yet. Kakashi was in the hospital room with Sasuke Tsunade had told him that tomorrow she would start to slowly bring him out of the coma. She needed to see how his body can handle the pain now that he had some time to heal. It was dark outside it was nearing midnight when Kakashi became alert he could feel the tingle of chakra go down his spine. Kakashi turned around to face the window and sure enough there stood the person Kakashi was hoping would show up. There stood Uchiha Itachi Sasuke's older brother. Itachi was once very protective of Sasuke growing up. It wasn't unusual for you to see the two of them together Itachi was always looking out for Sasuke and taking care of him. The only time you ever actually saw Itachi being more like a human than a ninja was when he was around Sasuke. Kakashi was praying to whatever god that was up there listening that that protectiveness that Itachi once possessed for his little brother was still there.

Itachi was surprised to receive a message from a hawk he was even more surprised that it was from Kakashi. The only reason Itachi was even entertaining coming to Konoha was because the message had said that Sasuke was in the hospital and he needed his help. Itachi didn't give a dam about anyone he didn't love anyone nor did he need anyone. It was always like that it was just who he was but then there was Sasuke. Sasuke had always seemed to break through his walls and found a place in his heart. Growing up he made sure he took care of him as best as he could and when he killed the Clan there was no question he would leave Sasuke alive. Itachi looked over to the hospital bed that held his little brother. He was covered in bruises and had a ventilator hooked up. Itachi couldn't deny that Sasuke looked horrible Kakashi speaking brought Sasuke out of his thoughts.

"I had to give permission to Tsunade-Sama to place him in a medical induce coma. It's been three weeks now Tsunade is going to try and take him out of it tomorrow and see if he can handle the pain."

"Pain?"

"He's badly injured his heart couldn't handle the pain and stress it took on his body so Tsunade had to place him in a coma to give his heart a break. He was brutally beaten and tortured for a week before he was saved."

Itachi walked over so he was beside the bed and could get a better look at his brother. This was the first time he had seen him since the night he killed the Clan. In that moment he had never seen him look so young and so vulnerable. Itachi could feel the rage filling his entire core he looked over to Kakashi.

"Who"

Kakashi didn't need to ask Itachi to elaborate he knew what he meant.

"Orochimaru."

"There's something else you're not telling me."

"He was raped"

As soon as the words came out of Kakashi's mouth Itachi's eyes changed from black to red. Kakashi was right Itachi did still care for his brother and was very much as ever protective of him.

"He's still out there we have tried for three weeks to kill him but all of the ninja die. No one knows I sent a message for you. You're the only one that stands a chance against Orochimaru. He won't stop coming for Sasuke until he has what he wants and what he wants is the Sharigan. Sasuke will never be safe with him alive to chase after him. Sasuke will constantly be living in fear of him coming back for him. He was taken from his home. You always protected him growing up and he needs that protection from you now."

"I will kill Orochimaru I'll leave the healing to you. But know this Kakashi if you fail him I will kill you next. I didn't take him with me back then but do not make the mistake in thinking I won't take him with me if this happens again. I left him to the care of Konoha if Konoha can't do that then there's no reason for him to be here."

"I care about Sasuke just as much as you do Itachi. I'll make sure he's okay."

"Orochimaru is mine but his death won't end this fight. The rest of the Sound will still come to Konoha looking to finish what their master started. The death of Orochimaru will start a war between the two nations they'll want him dead."

"I won't let them we can protect ourselves from the Sound it's Orochimaru that's the issue."

"I'll be keeping a close eye on Konoha I will know if something happens."

With that Itachi left Kakashi alone in the room. There was one thing that hadn't changed over the years Itachi was still terrifying to say the least. Kakashi knew him when they were both in ANBU he was scary then and he's still scary now. However, if he was on your side then you had nothing to worry about. Currently he was on Kakashi's side which meant that he wouldn't do any harm to him as long as he didn't completely screw up or hurt Sasuke which he never would. For right now Sasuke was as safe as he could be with Itachi taking care of Orochimaru Sasuke would be able to heal and move on from what happened to him, from what was done to him. It wasn't going to be an easy road but at least he won't have to be living in fear of Orochimaru coming back for him.

Kakashi was still there in the morning when Tsunade came in to check on Sasuke. Today was the day that she was going to start to bring Sasuke out of the coma that she had to place him in three weeks ago. She was hoping that the time had been enough for Sasuke's body to recover for him to be able to handle the pain level. He would still be in pain a lot of pain from the torture that was placed on him. However, it should be more manageable for him to deal with. She could also give him pain medication that would help him as well, but it wouldn't have to be as strong as morphine. Tsunade was hoping that today his heart rate would be good and she can start to take him out of the coma. She was starting to worry about Sasuke being on the ventilator for too long. His body would start to adjust to the ventilator too well in which it would be hard for Sasuke's body to breathe on its own.

"His heart rate is doing well that's a positive sign his body is adjusting well to the pain."

"That's good that means you'll be able to wake him up?"

"I'm going to start bringing him out of the coma. I'll administer a drug that will counter out the ones I had to use to place him into the coma. Once the drug is administered it will take anywhere from two to five hours for him to wake up. At that point I will remove the ventilator and hopefully his lungs will hold their own. If all goes well he'll be okay and the pain won't be as server."

"What if his lungs can't function on their own?"

"Then I'll have to put him back on the ventilator and give him a steroid to help his lungs regain function. Then in a few days try and remove it once again. I've had to do that with patients before however, they had been in a coma for well over three months before they reached that point. Sasuke's only been in a coma for three weeks and he's young his body will recover faster than someone twice his age."

"And the pain can he be on pain medication?"

"If he feels he needs it or his heart rate gets too high at times then he can be on a pain medication. With any luck it can be something less than morphine."

Tsunade reached into the drawer over in a medical cabinet and pulled out a syringe that held the drug she needed. She went over to Sasuke and pushed it into his IV line that had been giving him antibiotics for the pneumonia that he still had. Once that was done she placed the needle in the sharps box and documented the chart.

"Alright so it can take a few hours don't worry if he doesn't wake up anytime soon it varies depending on the person. When he does start to wake up call me and I'll come down. Until then all we can do is wait for him to wake up."

"Ok"

"I know you're worried about him being awake with Orochimaru still around. I haven't given up I'm just trying to find a way to kill him. The counsel isn't too happy with me right now especially Danzou for the number of ANBU that have been killed. Danzou feels that we shouldn't be risking the lives of many talented ANBU and ninja just to protect Sasuke."

"He's just a child whether he's a ninja or not he's only twelve. If it's not the ANBU and fellow ninjas' job to protect a child then what is? Orochimaru is a danger to the whole world not just Sasuke. Maybe if Danzou thought about the consequences if Orochimaru got his hands on the Sharigan."

"Calm down Kakashi I'm not saying that they are right. I don't agree with that belief ninja or not Sasuke is just a boy. A boy that has already seen his family die and a boy that has lived with the rumours and stares of the villagers. I'm not going to let Orochimaru or the counselors threaten his life. The ninja in this village their job is to protect people and that is exactly what Konoha will do."

"I won't let anyone hurt him I don't care if it cost me my career. I refuse to let Danzou and his bunch of merry men hurt Sasuke directly or indirectly."

"It's going to be alright Kakashi I'm not giving up on killing Orochimaru he's too dangerous to Konoha to leave alive. I'll come up with some kind of plan he can't live forever and he can't win every fight. I'm going to check on my other patients let me know when he starts to wake up."

"I will."

Tsunade left Kakashi alone sitting in the chair beside Sasuke's bed. He wasn't about to tell Tsunade that he had seen Itachi or that he sent a message to Itachi. That would be just their secret Kakashi had no concerns he knew that Itachi would take care of Orochimaru. Within a week Sasuke will be completely safe from him. The Sound would believe that it was Konoha's doing and they would come for a fight but they could handle that. Kakashi was worried slightly that the villagers and fellow ninja would have an issue with Sasuke. They weren't too happy that Orochimaru wanted him even with his death they won't be happy that the Sound will become a new enemy. There would be some problems with fellow ninjas but Kakashi and the others will look out for Sasuke especially while he is healing. For right now though all Kakashi could do was wait for when Sasuke would start to come out of the coma and hope he can breathe on his own after the last three weeks.


	15. Chapter 15

It was nearing five hours before Sasuke started to wake up. Kakashi had been holding his hand from the moment Tsunade left the room. Kakashi felt Sasuke's fingers start to twitch in his hand.

"Sasuke" Kakashi gently whispered as he stroked Sasuke's hand. Slowly Sasuke opened his eyes.

"Hey it's okay, you're safe." Kakashi reached over and hit the call button for a nurse to come in. Sasuke slowly looked around he was confused as to what was going on.

"It's okay you are in the hospital in Konoha. You're okay"

A nurse walked into the room to find Sasuke with his eyes open.

"He just woke up."

"Well hello there Sasuke. I'm going to go and get Tsunade-Sama so she can come and check you out and get that ventilator out hopefully. Just relax your throat and don't fight the tube. I'll be right back just relax."

The nurse gave Sasuke and Kakashi a friendly smile as she walked out to find Tsunade. Kakashi turned his attention back to Sasuke; he could tell that he was having a hard time with the ventilator.

"Hey look at me. Tsunade will be here in a few minutes and she can take the ventilator out. Just bear with it for a few more minutes. I know you're confused and don't understand what's going on right now. I promise I will explain what is going on once the ventilator is out. You're going to be okay though, just relax."

Kakashi was glad that Tsunade didn't take long to come into the room; it was only a couple minutes later. She walked over to Sasuke and gave him a warm smile to try and ease some of his worry.

"Hey Sasuke it's good to see you awake. First thing is first I am going to remove the ventilator. It's going to feel uncomfortable for a few minutes, but once the tube is out you should be able to breathe on your own. When I go to remove the tube I'll need to cough a few times and once the tube is out I want you to take a deep breath. Blink once if you understand."

Sasuke blinked once to say that he understood what was required of him. Tsunade moved over so she could unhook the ventilator from the tube. She then turned her attention to the tube.

"Alright Sasuke when I start to pull I need you to relax your throat and cough a few times."

Tsunade began to remove the tube and like he was told Sasuke let a few coughs out and did his best to relax his throat. Once the tube was out Sasuke took a deep breath in, but he couldn't stop from coughing a few times. Once he got his breathing under control he tried to speak.

"What…"

That was all he was able to get out his throat hurt and speaking only made it worse.

"Sasuke try not to talk your throat is damaged from Orochimaru. I know you're confused I am going to try my best to answer any questions you might have. You've been in a coma for three weeks. Tsunade-Sama and I had to make the decision to place you into a coma until your body healed a bit. You were in too much pain and the stress of it was having an effect on your heart. So the coma allowed your heart to take a break." Kakashi explained

"Sasuke on a scale of one to ten, ten being the highest, can you tell me your pain level right now." Tsunade asked

"Seven"

"Okay do you want any kind of medication at all? Even just something small to take the edge off." Tsunade asked

Sasuke didn't know what to do so he looked over at Kakashi hoping to find an answer there.

"Will the pain get worse the longer he is awake?"

"It's possible."

"Alright why don't we try something small and if the pain is manageable then we can just stick with that. If the pain gets to be too much then we can go from there okay?"

Kakashi said this to Sasuke he knew Sasuke didn't like taking any kind of medication. He wasn't going to force him to but Kakashi could tell Sasuke was looking for him to say it was okay for him to take something. Sasuke just gave a nod to Kakashi. Tsunade went over to the medical cabinet and pulled out a syringe, she could have given Sasuke a pill, but with his throat she didn't want to hurt it or take the chance of the pill getting stuck. She went over to Sasuke's IV and released the content in the syringe before disposing of it.

"Ok that should help take the edge off. If at any point the pain gets to be too much you need to say something, because it can cause stress on your heart which is very dangerous so you need to let someone know. You're on an IV right now for fluids and an antibiotic you still have some pneumonia left in your system. So don't be surprised if you have a cough or have a fever that's normal. I also want you to try and take small sips of water it will help your throat and keep you hydrated. I will also have a nurse bring by some Jello for you if you feel up to eating something. Don't push yourself if you don't want it, but it would be good for you to eat something even just a little bit."

"Do you have any questions Sasuke?" Kakashi asked

"Are the others okay?" Sasuke's voice was raw and raspy you could tell it hurt a lot to speak.

"They are fine they were all checked out. A couple of them got a bad cold from being in the storm, but they are fine. Everyone has been asking about you. If you'd like you can see them or not that's up to you."

"Maybe tomorrow."

"That's fine it's your decision if and when you see someone. You're stuck with me though." Kakashi said trying to make the situation not so intense.

"Can I still be a ninja?"

"Of course you can Sasuke. Your injures are serious and it will take a little while before you can even train again, but if you are patent and follow my orders then I can see you being back to training in six months. I know that seems like a long time from now, but the important thing to remember is that you will be able to return." Tsunade answered

"Okay."

"Alright I am going to go, but I will be back to check on you regularly and make sure you are okay. I'll have a nurse come back with some water and some Jello for you. I'll also have a nurse bring you something to eat Kakashi considering you won't leave his side. Try and get some rest Sasuke."

With that Tsunade left the two of them alone so she could go and check on a few things. A few minutes later the same nurse came in with the few things Tsunade had asked of her. She placed them down on the side tray and then left. Kakashi just sat there holding Sasuke's hand that wasn't in a cast. He knew that Sasuke would need a few minutes to process everything he just heard. Kakashi knew that Sasuke remembered what happened in the Sound or at least most of it. Kakashi was really hoping that Sasuke wouldn't have remembered being raped that wasn't something any child should have to go through. Especially after everything that Sasuke had been through already in his life he didn't need something like this to go along with it. Kakashi was taken out of his thoughts at the sound of Sasuke's raw and painful voice.

"He's going to kill me isn't he?"

"No he isn't. Someone is going after him as we speak and he will kill Orochimaru. I give you my word."

"How do you know he can?"

"Because he is stronger than Orochimaru and he is beyond pissed off at what has happened."

"Who is he?"

"That's not important right now. What is important, is you getting healthy. He will take care of Orochimaru and I will be taking care of you."

"Won't it start a war though?"

"It might, but that's not your fault in any way. Orochimaru started the war the second he took you. Konoha will not just let this go; he can't just come into this village and kidnap one of our own. The Sound will face the consequences of their leader's actions. War was decided the moment Orochimaru walked through those gates. I don't want you to worry about that at all. What I want is for you to relax and focus on getting better. All this worry and stress will only make it worse. I know it's hard, especially after what you went through, but I need you to try and just trust me to handle it all. Right now the only job you have is to get better. That is what matters most."

"Does everyone know what happened?"

"No the others don't know. As for the ones that were sent to rescue you they do know. They got you out so it wasn't something that we could hide from them. They knew before any of us did. However, the other ones don't know about what Orochimaru did to you and it will stay that way."

Sasuke was silent for a really long time after that. He didn't know how he felt about knowing that Shikamaru, Kiba, Shino, Neji and Naruto knew that he was raped. He didn't know how he would face them ever again. He didn't know how he was going to live with this. He felt dirty and filled with shame that he couldn't stop it from happening. Sasuke didn't even realise he had tears coming down his face. Kakashi got up and couldn't stop himself. He got onto the bed and sat up beside Sasuke. He gently pulled him into a hug and just held him.

"I couldn't stop him. My wrists were shackled to the headboard I couldn't move."

"Shhh it's okay."

"It hurt so bad I couldn't breathe. I thought I was going to die just from the pain. Then he said he was going to come back and do it again. So I pulled my wrist out of the shackle it was broken and I could hear the bones break even more as I pulled it through. I just remember it being dark after that."

"It's over now you survived. I wish you didn't have to go through that. I'm sorry I was away on a mission and I couldn't protect you from it."

"Part of me wishes I had died. I don't know how to do this, how to live with this feeling."

"I know it's hard, but it's over now he will never hurt you again. You are not alone in this I am going to be there every step of the way you will get through this. What you're feeling right now in time it will go away and get better. You need to be strong and hang on. You can do this you survived what happened you can survive this. It's just you and me here you need to just let it out you'll feel better once you do."

That's exactly what Sasuke did he let it out. He didn't care if it made him look weak. Everything was just too much for him. Kakashi just sat there holding Sasuke and gently rubbing calming circles on his back. After almost twenty minutes Sasuke was sound asleep curled up against Kakashi.


	16. Chapter 16

Shikamaru was on his way over to Sasuke's hospital room. He had come to the hospital to get checked out. He had gotten bronchitis from being out in the storm and he had been on an anti-biotic for a good three weeks now. It had taken a while for it to clear up and now it seemed like it finally was over with. Shikamaru remembered the first few days back he spent them in bed. His mother and father were very worried about him; not only was he really sick he was also exhausted and dehydrated from being in the Sound for that week. His father had spent a lot of time sitting beside his bed and the two would just talk. Shikamaru wasn't much of a talker much like his father, but he found that with what happened in the Sound he needed to talk about it. He still got nightmares from seeing Sasuke that way. It wasn't much of a secret that Shikamaru really didn't like Sasuke, but after spending that week in the Sound Shikamaru had a whole different outlook on Sasuke. In that week Shikamaru had gotten a new found level of respect for Sasuke. He had seen Sasuke with his own eyes being tortured and raped and he still fought to survive. He didn't give in to the pain and beg for it all to end. He never gave the man that was torturing him the pleasure of seeing him cry or beg. It took Orochimaru brutally raping him before his walls broke down and even then he didn't let Orochimaru see him cry. Sasuke had fought the whole time and he still was fighting every inch of the way. Shikamaru couldn't believe it when his father informed him that Sasuke was placed in a medical induced coma. His father had explained that Sasuke's body was in too much pain causing too much stress on his heart. Shikamaru was worried that Sasuke might die after surviving everything that he had been through. Each day that Sasuke was still alive was a small miracle in Shikamaru's opinion. Shikamaru hadn't seen Sasuke since they left him in the hospital three weeks ago. Up until today he hadn't even been outside of his own house. He didn't feel well and he didn't feel like dealing with people either. Today he came to the hospital to get checked out and cleared for duty. Shikamaru figured that since he was here he would go and see Sasuke and check to make sure he was still alive for himself.

Shikamaru walked into Sasuke's hospital room to find Kakashi holding Sasuke in his arms. Sasuke didn't have the ventilator anymore and Shikamaru automatically thought the worst.

"What happened?" Shikamaru asked, though he couldn't keep the fear out of his voice.

"He's alright Shikamaru he's just asleep. Tsunade took him out of the coma this morning he woke up about two hours ago and he's been asleep for about an hour."

Shikamaru closed his eyes and let out a breath that h didn't know he was holding.

"Sorry I just thought…"

"It's alright he's not dead. We're passed that threat. He's just tired from the pain medication that Tsunade gave him to help with the pain his body is still in."

Shikamaru moved so he was closer to the bed.

"He's still in pain?"

"He is, it's not putting as much stress on his heart as it was before. However, he is still in pain, but it is manageable for right now. What are you doing here? I've heard you've been pretty sick for the last few weeks."

"Bronchitis, but I'm better now I just got the all clear to return to missions. I figured I would come and see Sasuke. I haven't been out in three weeks and I wanted to see him before I went back home. There's also something I wanted to talk to you about."

"You can talk to me about anything. What's going on?"

"I was out for a walk late last night and I noticed that a certain someone was leaving the village. He seemed to be coming from this direction."

"Who?"

"I think you know who. I think he was here to see Sasuke. I also think you sent word to him during the last three weeks."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes you do and I don't care that he was here as long as he's here to help. If you sent word for him that's your choice and if he is willing to help then I see no problem with it."

Kakashi looked down to make sure that Sasuke was still sleeping. He didn't want Sasuke to know that it was Itachi that was going to kill Orochimaru. That would bring forth other issues and Sasuke had enough issues to work through right now. Once Kakashi was certain that Sasuke was in fact still fast asleep he spoke again.

"No one knows that I sent a letter out to him. He came here last night or really early this morning I guess. He saw Sasuke and asked what had happened and I explained the situation to him. He said he would take care of Orochimaru. No one can know about this not even the Hokage. If for some reason she asks you just tell her to speak to me about it."

"Alright, but I don't understand why Itachi would care? He killed the Clan and he's tormented Sasuke one way or another over the years. Why would he do this?"

"Itachi and Sasuke have always had a very close relationship growing up. Itachi didn't kill Sasuke to torture him he didn't kill him, simply because he couldn't. Itachi has only ever loved one person in his life and that was Sasuke. He would kill anyone that hurts him. He is strong enough to kill Orochimaru so the rest is up to me."

"The rest of what?"

"The war that is upon Konoha. Orochimaru has declared war the moment he took Sasuke. With Orochimaru dead the war will still continue. His men will seek retribution against Konoha for his death and Konoha will fight back. Sasuke knows that a war will break out and I'm going to need the extra help in getting him to understand that this is not his fault."

"Does he think it is?"

"He does. I told him it wasn't his fault in any way, shape or form. That doesn't mean he believes it though. The extra support from people will be beneficial to him."

"I'm certain that all of us will be supportive of him. War is inevitable in this situation. Like you said the moment Orochimaru crossed through Konoha's Gates war was upon us. Some ninjas will understand that and others won't, but we all can help Sasuke adjust to this. How long will he be away from missions?"

"Tsunade said he won't be able to train for at least six months. It's looking like at least a year before he can return to duty. If this war does happen Sasuke won't be able to fight and whether or not he will be able to defend himself is yet to be remain seen."

"We'll keep him safe. We failed him in the Sound I won't fail him again. None of us will."

"Everything will be fine. If worse comes to worse Sasuke can leave and go someplace safe until the war is over."

"Someplace where?"

"I'm not sure, but if the time comes for that to happen I already have a plan for that outcome."

"Will Sasuke be allowed back once the war is over? Or is this place somewhere that will make Sasuke an exile for just being there?"

"If the times comes for extreme matters to be taken then it won't be hold against Sasuke. It would be for his safety after all and Tsunade would understand that."

"This safe place that would be with Itachi I'm assuming."

"It would be. Hopefully it doesn't come down to that though. Itachi sees what happened as Konoha failing to keep Sasuke safe. If that happens again there really is no telling how Itachi would react to that. Our best bet is to keep Sasuke safe and if it comes down to the point where we can't. Sasuke needs to leave until the war is finished and it's safe once again to come back. If Sasuke dies, because Konoha failed to protect him Itachi will come for Konoha and he is the one person you don't want to anger. Itachi could very well destroy this village and he won't think twice about it."

"Well then let's not let it reach that point. I'll keep this conversation between us obviously, but I can't lie to Hokage-Sama if she asks me about it and won't let it go."

"I would never ask you to Shikamaru."

"I'm glad he's out of the coma. I should get going you look like you could use some sleep."

"I probably should, but I don't see that happening yet. Tsunade has already told me I need sleep and food. I'll eat shortly; I just want to hold him a little while longer."

"He could probably use it. I'll see you later Kakashi. If someone wants to see him should they?"

"He's not ready to see people yet. If someone asks just tell them to give him a few days."

"I will. I'll see you later."

Kakashi gave a nod as Shikamaru walked out of the room. Shikamaru was glad that Sasuke was out of the coma and would be alright eventually. He couldn't imagine how hard it will be for Sasuke to not even be able to train for six months. Sasuke was always training he didn't know what else to do with his time. Sasuke was always alone he didn't have anything else to do in his life but train. Not being able to for six months is going to drive Sasuke insane; especially if this war did take off he wouldn't even be able to defend himself if something happened.

Shikamaru was on his way home when he saw Neji walking down the street towards him.

"Hey Neji can I have a word?"

"Of course. What's going on?"

Shikamaru directed his head towards the side alley so they could speak in private. Neji followed Shikamaru over so they could speak without being heard.

"First off Sasuke woke up this morning and he's off the ventilator and he will make a full recovery."

"That's good to hear."

"He won't be able to train for at least six months and he won't be doing missions for at least a year. He will make a full recovery though and that's what counts."

"I'm glad to hear that, but that's not what you wanted to talk about."

"Sasuke can't fight for at least six months and with the Sound silently proclaiming war on Konoha not being able to fight can be an issue. Kakashi is worried that Sasuke will think it's his entire fault, apparently he already does."

"That's crazy. It's not his fault that Orochimaru made the first move. He's been after him since the Chounin exams; he even put that curse seal on him. How is any of this his fault?"

"I agree, but right now Sasuke thinks it is and when word gets out about this war some people will think it's his fault to. Kakashi's worried about Sasuke obviously, but he's also concerned that some people in Konoha will turn against him."

"Especially when he can't fight."

"Exactly."

"So is there a plan?"

"Not right now. The best thing we can do is just keep an eye out for anything suspicious within the next few weeks. Orochimaru won't wait for very long to attack. He needs Sasuke alive that's why he hasn't yet, but once word gets out that Sasuke is awake and out of the hospital it's going to get dangerous."

"Are we telling anyone?"

"I think just our group for right now and I'm sure Kakashi has a few people he'll be telling. War is inevitable at this point it's just a matter of when now. We have to keep him safe."

"We will. Does anyone else know?"

"Not yet I just came from the hospital. I was on my way to let the Hokage know I'm cleared for duty again."

"You feel up to it?"

"Ya the anti-biotic worked I'm fine now."

"You haven't been out much."

"I've been sick."

"Are you sure that's the only reason you've been in?"

Shikamaru looked down for a moment. Leave it to Neji to see right through him. It was true that he had been really sick, but he could have been outside moving around a week ago. The problem was he didn't know what to do with himself. After what happened with Sasuke, he had to admit he just wasn't over it.

"I've known Sasuke since we were five. We went into the academy at the same age same time. I remember that first day everyone knew who he was. They didn't know his first name it was always just Uchiha and I remember thinking how I was going to hate him. I always heard the adults talking about how Uchiha's are always arrogant and full of themself. That they didn't work with other ninja outside of their Clan, because they thought they were better than everyone. So that first day we were there he came over and said hello to me and I didn't say anything back I just walked away. Looking back on that though what I never noticed was that everyone else stayed away from him. Everyone had someone there with them; their mother or father but Sasuke was there all alone. Over the years he stopped trying to be friendly he didn't talk unless spoken to. I thought he was an ass. During the Chounin exams everyone from other villages were talking about him, but they were talking about wanting to be the one to kill him. That was the first time I realised that people hated him without even knowing him. That was when I realised that maybe I judged him to. Being in the Sound and not being able to help him. It was the first time I actually saw him as one of us and I can't help but think that if I didn't judge him growing up maybe this wouldn't have happened."

"That's crazy you know that. You can't blame yourself for what happened any more than Sasuke can. We all judged him based on his name. Is that fair? No, but we can't change the past. Orochimaru wanted Sasuke because he's an Uchiha it would have happened regardless of his friends. You can't blame yourself. We did what we could for him, we got him out and we got him to the hospital."

"And now what we just go back to ignoring him, judging him? How is that right?"

"I never said that. Sasuke is going to have a hard time with this. What he went through isn't something he can just get over. He needs friends. He's got Naruto and Sakura, but you know they will hound him for answers and make him feel weird especially Naruto. Sasuke needs someone he can turn to that won't treat him like he's made of glass. You can be that person. You can act like this never happened to him and just be his friend. He's going to need someone that he can turn to that will just be a friend and talk about normal everyday things."

Shikamaru nodded his head as he thought about what Neji had said. Neji and him weren't close, but Shikamaru found himself more and more going to Neji to speak about something that is bothering him. Neji was always attentive and held no judgments. It also helped that Neji was a genius like himself, Neji was one of the few people Shikamaru didn't have to explain everything to.

"Thanks. I better get going and let the Hokage know I'm clear for duty."

"If I see anyone from the group I'll let them know about Sasuke. Did Kakashi say anything about visitors?"

"He said not yet that Sasuke isn't ready for anyone."

"Alright I'll let them know. Think about what I said."

"I will. Thanks Neji."

"Anytime."

With that they both went their separate ways; Shikamaru to the Hokage Tower and Neji on his way back home. It was the first day on the long journey ahead.


	17. Chapter 17

It had been three weeks since Sasuke was allowed to wake up from the medical induced coma. He was finally released this morning. Kakashi had never left his side the whole time. Tsunade even had to move Sasuke into a different room so there was a shower in the bathroom. Iruka had come by to bring clean clothes for Kakashi and even brought him food. Iruka even brought Sasuke a bag with some of his clothes in it as well; and when Sasuke was able to eat actual food Iruka brought him some as well. Iruka knew how horrible hospital food tasted like and he was more than happy to bring something for Sasuke. With being in a new room Kakashi did go and shower while Sasuke was sleeping or he was eating. Kakashi didn't want to leave Sasuke alone for very long with the nightmares that plagued him when he closed his eyes. Two weeks ago Sasuke was able to get up and move around in small time frames. Tsunade wanted his body to get back to moving after being in the coma for three weeks; it was important for his muscles to strengthen back up. Though Sasuke was happy he was able to go to the washroom again, it did however; bring up the next obstacle a shower. Sasuke desperately needed to shower, he had to get Orochimaru off from him and Kakashi understood that completely. The problem was Sasuke didn't have that kind of strength yet and with his injuries it was dangerous for him to be showering. So they had to come to a compromise. Sasuke could take a bath; however, Kakashi got the water ready so it was at a temperature that wouldn't hurt his injuries. Sasuke also had to leave the door part way open so Kakashi could hear if everything was alright. He also could only be in the water for fifteen minutes otherwise he risked further injuries. Once all was said and done Sasuke was happy he could at least get clean and feel a little more human again.

Sasuke was able to leave that morning so Kakashi helped him get his shirt on. He also helped Sasuke get his jacket on; he no longer had pneumonia, but he did have a bad cold and a fever still from it. Sasuke was on bed rest until the cold and fever went away. Tsunade was worried that moving around too much and being outside would bring the pneumonia back and Sasuke's body couldn't handle any more. Sasuke wasn't too upset with the bed rest order at least he was out of the hospital. He couldn't go back to his home he had to go to Kakashi's but it was better than the hospital. They slowly made their way through the village. Kakashi was glad that Tsunade let them leave early in the morning so the streets were basically disserted due to it was only five in the morning. They slowly walked through the streets, Kakashi kept an arm around Sasuke's waist to hold him up. Sasuke was still in a lot of pain so they needed to be careful not to push him too hard or too fast. They got half way there when Sasuke needed a minute to catch his breath. Kakashi understood and he remembered what Tsunade had said. It would take at least six months for Sasuke to even start to train and even then it would be limited to a couple hours and he would have to build from there. His body was servely damaged from the week in the Sound. Kakashi made sure that Sasuke understood how important it was for him to be honest with him about how he was feeling. Sasuke understood why he had to let Kakashi know when he was in pain or just not feeling right, especially with the curse mark they didn't know if Orochimaru would do something with it. After a fifteen minute break Sasuke and Kakashi started to make the rest of the journey to Kakashi's place.

Once they arrived Kakashi immediately took Sasuke into the spare bedroom, where he would be for now. Sasuke was shivering due to his fever and the stress on his body. Sasuke wasn't used to moving around that much and it was like he just ran a marathon. Kakashi helped Sasuke take off his jacket and got him into bed. Kakashi put just a sheet over Sasuke and not the warm comforter.

"I know you're cold, but it's from the fever. I have to keep you cool or else the heat will put your fever up. How bad is the pain?"

"Nine"

"Do you want some of the pain medication Tsunade gave you?"

Sasuke just gave a nod. He hated taking pain medication, but with the fever and the pain in his body the medication would at least put him to sleep. If he could sleep he could sleep the fever off and the pain off from the journey over here. Kakashi went to grab a glass of water. He had the medication in his pocket so he went back into the bedroom and got Sasuke to take one. Once that was done Kakashi sat down on the side of the bed and just stroked Sasuke's hair. After a rough thirty minutes the medication kicked in finally and Sasuke was asleep. Kakashi continued to sit there and watch Sasuke sleep. He knew he should be going to bed as well; he had barely slept in the last six weeks while Sasuke was in the hospital. Kakashi hadn't heard anything from Itachi yet and there was no word of Orochimaru being dead. So either Itachi had yet to find him or Orochimaru got lucky and killed Itachi. Kakashi knew it would be the first situation; there was no way Orochimaru stood a chance against a pissed off Itachi. Kakashi had also struggled with if he should let Sasuke know the truth or not. He didn't know how he would react to the information. Yes Itachi was Sasuke's older brother, but Sasuke really didn't have a tolerance for him since the Clan's death. Kakashi could understand that, but Sasuke also needed answers and closure or he might never be able to move on.

Sasuke had refused to see anyone while he was in the hospital. Naruto and the others had come by once they found out he was awake, but Sasuke didn't want to see any of them. He was in pain and he couldn't handle all of the questions and the awkwardness with seeing Naruto, Shino, Neji, Kiba and Shikamaru after what happened. Kakashi had understood that and he didn't push Sasuke to see anyone if he wasn't up for it. Right now the most important thing for Sasuke was to heal, than Kakashi would focus on the other healing that needed to be done. Kakashi had explained to the others that Sasuke was in a lot of pain and he was still sick. They understood, but you could see they were upset about not getting to see him. Kakashi let out a breath for right now he could only do what was in his power. Sasuke was sleeping so Kakashi knew he needed to sleep as well. His body wouldn't be able to go for much longer without some actual sleep. Kakashi got up and headed into his bedroom to get changed out of his ninja clothes and into something more comfortable. Once he was changed he went back into Sasuke's room and crawled in on the other side of the bed. If something happened at least he would be next to Sasuke if he needed him. Kakashi closed his eyes and let the exhaustion take him under the black sea.

Naruto was in the training grounds and had been for the last five hours. It was no secret to anyone that Naruto was pissed off at Sasuke. Naruto couldn't believe that after everything that happened Sasuke refused to see any of them. He clearly didn't care that they were worried and just wanted to see that he was alright for themselves. What made him even angrier was that Shikamaru had seen Sasuke when he was out of the coma. Shikamaru said that Sasuke was sleeping, but still he at least saw with his own eyes that Sasuke was alright. Naruto had been going to the training grounds everyday just to work off his anger and frustration. It had been six weeks since he saw Sasuke and it was like Sasuke didn't even care. Sure he was in a coma for half of the time, but now that he was out he still didn't want to see him. They risked their lives to go in and get him. They saved his life and yet he still acted like a complete asshole to them. Naruto was furious that Sasuke wouldn't even give them two minutes just to ease their minds.

"Hey Naruto!" Shikamaru shouted when he got close enough to Naruto.

Shikamaru knew that Naruto was upset with Sasuke. What Naruto didn't understand was how Sasuke was feeling. As mean as it sounded it wasn't Naruto's feelings that needed to be considered it was Sasuke's. Shikamaru and the others were all upset that they couldn't see Sasuke, but that didn't give any of them any right to be mad at Sasuke for it. A few of them had understood that Sasuke didn't want visitors, Neji, Shino, Kiba and himself were the ones that could understand. The others just varied in levels of anger and disappointment. Naruto was by far the worst. Shikamaru needed to try and get Naruto to understand where Sasuke was coming from, before things got way out of hand. The last thing Sasuke needed was for Naruto to show up at Kakashi's screaming and yelling at him. Naruto turned around to see Shikamaru standing there with him.

"What?" Naruto was clearly not in any mood to talk.

"I need to talk to you about something important."

"If it's about Sasuke, I don't want to hear it." Naruto said as he turned to continue training.

"I do out rank you now. So if I have to I will order you."

That got Naruto's attention. He turned back around to look at Shikamaru and he saw that Shikamaru was very serious about that.

"You're going to order me to talk about something."

"If I have to yes. Especially when it is this important I will."

"Sasuke doesn't think we are important so why should I think he is."

"Did you even stop to think for a second what Sasuke is going through?"

"I know what he went through I saw it. I held him as he was bleeding to death. I had to watch my teammate and friend get raped by that monster. I had to wait around for three weeks worried and scared that he was going to die while in that coma. Then when he wakes up I'm told he doesn't want to see me. He clearly doesn't care or appreciate anything we did for him. So why should I care about him?"

"You know all I just heard from you was I, I, I. Well guess what this isn't about you. This is about Sasuke and what he wants and more importantly what he needs. Did it ever occur to you to just take a minute and think about why he might not want to see anyone? Did you think about how hard it might be for him to see someone, especially us? He was tortured with us in the room, he was raped and he knows we saw it. Obviously he doesn't want to see us, but not because he doesn't care. He can't handle it right now. He's trying to come to terms with what happened and seeing us will only make it worse. He doesn't want judgements or questions. He doesn't want you or anyone to talk about what happened. He can't handle that right now so he can't see you, because I knows you'll talk about it."

"He needs to talk about it. He can't just act like it never happened. It changes things."

"That's exactly why he doesn't want to see you or anyone else. He needs to talk about it when he is ready to talk about it. That's only a decision that he can make. You can't force him to talk about this; it'll only make him worse. For right now being alone lets him work it out on his own terms. It lets him heal and take the time that he needs to figure things out. He doesn't want what happened to him to change things. He needs things to go back to how they were so he can feel better. You can be pissed off all you want, but you don't get to be mad at him. He's doing everything he can to keep himself together and to get healthy. Not you or anyone else gets to hold that against him. For now he has Kakashi looking after him and if he chooses to see people then it's his choice who he sees and who he doesn't see. You want to help him, than do what is in your power to do."

"Like what? He won't even see me."

"You can't be this naïve Naruto. Orochimaru is the leader of the Sound. The Sound has claimed war against Konoha. They won't stop until they have Sasuke back, regardless of if Orochimaru is alive or not. Word is already spreading through the village over the last three weeks. There is going to be people in the village that will be all for protecting Sasuke and some will be all for killing him. With Sasuke dead there won't be cause for war. You need to help keep him safe from our own ninja trying to kill him. You need to help protect him Naruto, because he can't do it himself right now. Sasuke can't even train for six months Naruto. His body is destroyed he can't protect himself. Sasuke needs us more than ever. You want to be mad at someone be mad at the Sound. They did this to him. Whether you agree with his decision not to see people or not doesn't matter. He needs our help to keep him safe and that's something we can give him."

Naruto looked down for a moment going over things in his head. He knew what Shikamaru was saying made sense and he really couldn't be mad at Sasuke. He just wanted to see him and make sure he was alright. The problem was Shikamaru was right and Naruto couldn't argue that. He did need to start thinking about what Sasuke needs and not what he wants.

"I won't let that monster get his hands on Sasuke again. Hopefully the village won't turn against him."

"I don't know what other people will do. All we can do is what is in our power to do. We need to stand behind him and keep him safe. I'm going to speak with Kakashi and see if we have a plan or what needs to be done. Why don't you go and speak with the others and get everyone on the same page."

"I can do that. The others are upset as well, but they won't just leave Sasuke to be hurt."

"I know everyone is upset with the situation. Like I said though, all that matters right now is keeping Sasuke safe."

"We'll keep him safe. I'll go find the others and let them know. Will you talk to Kakashi to see if Sasuke will consider seeing me?"

"I'll let him know and see what he says."

Naruto just gave a nod to that for he knew that it was Sasuke's choice in the end. Shikamaru left Naruto there to work out things in his head. He needed to speak with Kakashi and see how Sasuke was doing. He hadn't seen or heard anything about Sasuke and he wanted to make sure that he was healing alright.

Kakashi woke up and noticed that the room was filled with sunlight. He turned his head to look at the clock and saw that it was almost two in the afternoon. They had slept a good seven hours and Sasuke hadn't had a nightmare it would seem. Kakashi then noticed the warm body that was pressed against him. Kakashi looked down and saw that Sasuke had moved some time during the hours. He was now curled up against his right side. Kakashi took a moment to look down at him. Over the weeks Sasuke's bruising had started to heal, but it did get worse at first. Sasuke still looked horrible, he was covered in bruising and he was pale. Sasuke had gotten better, but he was far from healed. This was the first time though that Sasuke had actually slept for seven hours straight. He usually woke up every couple of hours from a nightmare. Kakashi wished he could let Sasuke sleep as long as he wanted, but Sasuke had to take his anti-biotic and get some food into him. Kakashi gently shook Sasuke so he would wake up. Sasuke let out a groan as he was being woken up. Sasuke opened his eyes trying to bring his mind back to the moment. He noticed that he was pressed against Kakashi's side, but he couldn't find the energy to push himself away.

"What time is it?" Sasuke asked his voice was still a little rough.

"It's after two in the afternoon. We slept seven hours. How are you feeling?"

"I feel like death. I slept seven hours though; I shouldn't be feeling this way." Sasuke mumbled clearly already well on his way back asleep.

"That's because you didn't sleep for a week straight. Then you spent three weeks in a coma, which is basically just like not sleeping for three weeks. In the last three weeks you have only slept a couple hours at a time. You're beyond exhausted Sasuke. You do though need to take your medicine and eat something."

"I'm not hungry."

"I know, but you need to eat something. You're body needs nourishments to help you heal. How about something simple like soup?"

"If I eat soup will you let me sleep?"

"After you eat yes, I will let you sleep."

"Deal"

"I'll go put on some chicken noodle soup. There's a glass of water on the bedside table, I'll put your medicine beside it. When I come back with the soup you better be sitting up."

"Ok"

Kakashi gave Sasuke a smile even though he couldn't see it before he got up. He went into the kitchen to put some soup on for Sasuke. He knew that Sasuke wouldn't eat much he hadn't eaten much in the last three weeks. He was sick and in pain, food just wasn't something his body was interested in. It was something his body needed though, so Kakashi would have to push to get Sasuke to eat. Once the soup was ready Kakashi put it in a round mug and placed it on a tray and brought it into the bedroom. Sasuke was sitting up and the medicine wasn't on the bedside table anymore so that meant he took it. Kakashi placed the tray down on the bed and noticed the look on Sasuke's face. He was clearly not interested in food.

"You don't have to eat it all, but you need to eat some. I know it's hard, but Sasuke you didn't eat for a week and then with the three week coma. Your body needs to go back to eating food. So I need you to try for me."

"I know it's just…"

"Just what Sasuke?"

"Every time I eat it hurts my mouth and throat. The pain pushes all the memories forward, like to remind myself why my mouth and throat hurts. Remembering what happened just makes my stomach turn and the last thing I want is food."

"You need to talk about what happened. The memories won't disappear, but you can make them more liveable. You need to talk about it so they don't affect you."

"I know I need to, but it seems like ever since I woke up that's all people have been talking about. Tsunade-Sama asks me in the hospital about my injuries and pain. Naruto and everyone are talking about how I won't see them. You keep talking about it; and I keep hoping that something else will happen and people will focus on that instead. I just want things to go back to normal. I want people to treat me like they always have instead of some victim."

"I'm sorry if I made you feel like a victim. That was never my intentions at all Sasuke. As for the others this isn't easy for them. They don't have experience with this sort of situation. Just like if the situation was reversed, you wouldn't know how to act either. You want to feel more normal I understand that, maybe you should think about seeing one of them. I'm not suggesting all of them all at once, but one or two might not be so horrible."

"I don't know. I'm just so tired. I wish I could wake up and this was all some horrible nightmare."

"I know. I wish I could make that happen, but I can't. Let's just focus on one day at a time for right now."

Before anymore could be said there was a knock at the door. Kakashi let out a sigh, he knew it was probably one of the Genin coming here demanding to see Sasuke. Kakashi was hoping it wasn't Naruto again. In the hospital Naruto had tried numerous times to see Sasuke and each time he got more and more annoyed that he couldn't. Kakashi could understand why Sasuke didn't want to see anyone he really could. That didn't make turning everyone away any easier.

"Eat some soup. I'll go deal with that."

Kakashi got up off the bed and headed out into the living room. He made sure he closed the bedroom door though so Sasuke couldn't hear the conversation. Sasuke felt bad enough he didn't need guilt on top of everything else he was feeling. Kakashi answered the door and was surprised that it was Shikamaru standing on the other side.

"Shikamaru what can I do for you?"

"I need to talk to you."

"Are you alone?"

"I already spoke to Naruto and he said he would give Sasuke his space."

Kakashi gestured for Shikamaru to enter the house.

"How did that conversation go over?"

"He was angry at first. I just reminded him that it wasn't about what he wanted, but what Sasuke needed. He saw my point after a few minutes."

"Good hopefully the others will come around to realising that soon."

"He did say he would speak to them about it. I also informed him of the upcoming war. That seemed to snap his mind back into place. There are already rumors going around the village."

"Asuma told me. That's why this morning when Sasuke was discharged we left as early as possible. I didn't want there to be any trouble or for Sasuke to hear something he shouldn't. I'm having a hard time getting him to understand that this isn't his fault."

"How is he physically?"

"He's exhausted. People think that being in a coma is basically being asleep, but it's the opposite. He hadn't slept for a good month and the last three weeks have just been nightmare after nightmare. Today was the first time he slept for more than two hours straight. He just got up not even an hour ago, he slept seven hours. The pneumonia is gone, but he still has a bad cold and a fever, so he has an anti-biotic he has to take. As well as pain medication for when the pain gets to be too much. He's healing, but it's a slow processes. Even walking here today he had to stop half way for fifteen minutes. His body is weak and vulnerable. At first when Tsunade had said he wouldn't be able to even train for six months I didn't believe her. Seeing Sasuke today I believe her. It's going to be a long year for him."

"Can I talk to him?"

"He's worried people will treat him differently. He doesn't want to be treated like a victim. It's why he so strongly doesn't want to see Naruto or Sakura. He doesn't want people treating him like he's glass. Will he talk about what happened, not yet. What I think he needs the most right now is just a friend. Someone who will hang out and talk about nothing."

"That's something I can do. I can act like this never happened and I can also be there to listen if he decides to bring it up. I told Naruto today that Sasuke needed people to treat him like this never happened. Now I can't go back to thinking he's a bastard, not after what I've seen. I can however, be a friend and talk about everyday things"

Kakashi thought about it for a moment. Out of everyone Shikamaru did make the most sense. He knew when to press an issue and when to let one go. Shikamaru could just be a friend to Sasuke and act like none of this ever happened.

"He's in the bedroom, third door on the left. He's eating or is supposed to be eating soup. If he hasn't eaten anything try to encourage him please. He's barely eaten anything in the last seven weeks."

"I'll try."

"I'll be out here if you need me."

Shikamaru gave a nod as he headed down the hall to the bedroom. Kakashi went into the kitchen to make some coffee and something to eat for himself. Kakashi knew that Shikamaru would be careful around Sasuke and he wouldn't push him. He also would be able to tell if Sasuke was comfortable with him being around or not. Sasuke really did need to get used to people being around him again. The only way he could move on was to get back into the swing of things. He had a long road ahead of him he needed to have good people around him to get him through.

Shikamaru knocked on the bedroom door before he went in. He saw Sasuke sitting there on the bed looking down at the mug in his hands. Shikamaru knew that it was the food that Kakashi had been trying to get him to eat. Sasuke looked up when he realised that it was Kakashi that had come into the room.

"Shikamaru" Sasuke whispered

Shikamaru knew that at first Sasuke would feel uncomfortable with him being around. Shikamaru had no problems though in being just a friend. If he went through what Sasuke had he wouldn't want people to act weird around him either.

"Hey Sasuke. Can I sit?" Shikamaru asked as he pointed to the bed. Sasuke just gave a small nod. Shikamaru went and sat down at the end of the bed. He was close enough to Sasuke, but he wasn't too close to make him feel uncomfortable.

"What's in the mug?"

"Soup" Sasuke mumbled

"You sound so happy about that."

Sasuke made a face of disgust at the soup before putting the mug down on the tray that was on the bedside table.

"Kakashi said you haven't been eating much. Do you want to talk about it?"

"I'm just not hungry. I know I should be, but I'm not."

"Ya I know what that is like. When I got home my mother kept trying to feed me all day long. I kept telling her I wasn't hungry, but she wouldn't listen. I was so tired and I had bronchitis so food was the last thing I wanted."

"You got bronchitis?"

"I did. I was stuck on bed rest for just over three weeks. It was great for the first week, but then it got boring and troublesome. How are you feeling?"

"Tired and sore."

Shikamaru stretched his arms out and laid back on the bed and stared up at the ceiling.

"This last mission I had was so troublesome."

"Why?"

"The client we had to escort back to his home. Asuma didn't come with us, because I'm a Chounin so apparently that means I get to deal with the clients and not him. He was beyond paranoid, at every single sound he would make us check it out. I thought for sure Ino was going to kill him in his sleep."

"That bad?"

"He was easily the worst client I have ever had to escort. Five days of listening to him telling us how to do our job and talking about how valuable he is to his village. Except when we got there we found out that he wasn't even who he said he was. Turns out the reason why he was so paranoid was, because everyone in the village hated him and wanted to kill him. Apparently he had been scamming people in the village out of money for some fake charity he set up."

"Are you serious?"

"Ya. By the end of the mission I swear if Ino was ordered to kill him she would have. We got back and Asuma had this huge smile on his face. He knew all about this client that's why he didn't come with us."

"That seems like something Kakashi would have done."

"Ya except he would have showed up three hours late."

"I've never seen him show up on time yet. Even for missions he's always late."

"Did you ever ask why?"

"He always had some lame excuse as to why he was late, but I never actually asked the reasoning behind it."

"Asuma had mentioned it once that Kakashi used to be on time all the time growing up. He followed every single rule to the letter. Then one day he changed and was the opposite all of a sudden. People speculated why that was, but no one really knows."

"Maybe I should ask him."

"Maybe, but who knows if he will actually tell you." Shikamaru said trying to lighten the mood and make Sasuke feel more comfortable.

Sasuke went to lie down on the bed as well so he was lying across it like Shikamaru was. Sasuke grabbed a pillow and put it under his head.

"Why are you here?" Sasuke said softly. Shikamaru turned his head so he was looking at Sasuke. For a moment Shikamaru actually took a good look at him. You could tell he was sick. He was pale and shivering slightly most likely a fever. He was still covered in bruising and cuts. His wrist looked painful it was still black and blue, and you could see the scars around his wrist from the shackles. He looked exhausted and he was thin, he was too thin he clearly hadn't been eating anything. Sasuke was struggling and this really was a fork in the road. Sasuke was either going to push through and heal or he was going to spiral downward and they would lose him forever.

"I came over to speak with Kakashi about how you're doing. The thing is I could ask Kakashi or I could just ask you and I would much rather ask you. I'm not here to make you talk or feel awkward. I'm here as a friend. So that means we can just lie here and not talk or we can talk about nothing or something important. I'm not going to say what happened didn't change things it has, but not in the way you're probably thinking. I judged you growing up based on your name and what people said about you. I was wrong to do that, because I didn't even know you. In the Chounin exam that's when I first started to realise that people hated you for no reason other than your name. I'm sorry for judging you. I can't go back to treating you like crap though not after everything. I want to be your friend Sasuke and I think you could use a true friend right now."

"I'm not talking about what happened."

"Good, because I don't want to hear it." Shikamaru joked back with a smile.

"How mad is everyone?"

"Neji, Shino and Kiba understand and are worried about you. The others are upset but on some level they understand. Naruto was the worst. He didn't understand why you wouldn't see him or anyone. He thought you were being cold and unfair. I talked to him though before I came here and he understands now that that wasn't what you were doing. He's going to speak to the others and help them understand. Kakashi was telling me how you think this war is your fault."

"It is my fault. Orochimaru is after me. If I wasn't here then he wouldn't be."

"Sasuke Orochimaru has had a long history with Konoha. He's wanted to destroy it for years, even before he was made an exile. It's not you he's after it's the Sharigan. It's not your fault he's doing this and you can't blame yourself."

"Can't help it. This war could tear the village apart. Innocent people will die and I can't do anything about it."

"It's going to take time for your body to heal. For now all you can do is what is in your power to do. You need to take the time to heal from all of this. The rest of us will worry about Orochimaru. You really should eat something."

"I know I should. I'm just not hungry."

"Maybe if you took a few bites your body will realise its hungry."

"Probably"

"Come on you gotta eat something. If not I'm sure Kakashi will hold you down and force feed you."

Sasuke let out a groan as he sat back up so he could eat. Shikamaru couldn't help the small chuckle.

"You look like death."

"I feel like death."

Sasuke reached over and picked up the mug before sitting back against the pillows. He took a small bite of the soup and Shikamaru spoke trying to get Sasuke's mind off of the soup.

"So what should I tell the others if they ask about seeing you?"

"I know I should say yes, but I'm just not up to all the questions and judgements. I know most of them don't know what happened, but that doesn't make it any easier. I don't know how to handle all of this yet. Until I figure it out I really don't want to deal with a bunch of people acting differently around me and the questions."

"That's your decision Sasuke and that's fine. Eventually you will have to see them, but I can understand you needing time to figure things out. I'm sure the others will understand as well. Though, I can't make any promises that Naruto won't get fed up and show up here one day."

"He wouldn't be Naruto if he didn't."

"He is definitely a character, but he's loyal and will do everything he can to protect someone. You telling me you two haven't gotten along or closer since being on the same team."

"I honestly don't know what to call Naruto. We're teammates, but he's always trying to beat me at things like we're rivals. In the academy he was just some joke and since being on the team he's focused and worked hard to improve and grow. If him looking at me as a rival has done that then I'm perfectly happy to be his rival."

"Don't tell anyone, but in the academy we all used to look up to you. You were the only one that could beat Iruka sensei in a spar. You fought like you were born to do it; it was like walking to you. While the rest of us struggled with it. People used to talk bad about you, but you could hear the envy and astonishment in their voice. Any one of them would have said yes if you can up to them and offered to teach."

"I almost didn't join the academy. My father signed me up without even telling me. Growing up I always saw how the missions affected my brother. He was always so stressed and he looked miserable every time he had to leave. I didn't want to end up like that, but with the Clan not joining wasn't an option. So I went and did the best that I could to make the Clan proud. Itachi told me once that being a ninja wasn't an option. That wasn't something we could change, but what we could do was decide what kind of ninja we were going to be. He said even though he hated doing the missions that he was given he did them, because he could do them and survive. If other ninja were ordered to handle them they might not have survived. After that I did my best to push through it and do what I could."

"Your brother sounds like he was very intelligent."

"He is. I thought I knew him, but when he killed them. Everything I thought I knew about him was destroyed. Afterwards I kept thinking that there had to be some other reason for him to do what he did. He was having problems with some Clan members, but he was never like that with me. The things he said that night seemed so out of character for him. I always wondered if what happened between us growing up was all faked or if that night was him being fake."

"You want to know why."

"I do, but I don't think I'll ever get that chance to ask. What happened that night doesn't make any sense. People tell me I have to move on from it, but how can you move on from something that you have no closure in. Sometimes it all just seems like one horrible bad dream, except I'll never wake up and find them alive. I want to move on, but in order to do that I need answers and only he can give me them."

"Maybe one day you will get those answers. You said you don't know when he was being fake, but you had seven years with him. Those seven years couldn't all be a lie. No one not even Itachi could spend seven years pretending to care about someone. He was your brother and from what I've heard he was a good one to you. I don't think he faked all those years. I think you just saw a different Itachi then the rest of us did. You might just get those answers someday."

"I hope so."

The whole time Sasuke was eating the soup as they talked. Shikamaru made sure to keep the conversation away from what happened in the Sound. He knew that part of the reason why Sasuke wasn't hungry was due to the memories that were going through his head. If he was able to get Sasuke to focus on something else then maybe he could eat without feeling sick. So fair it had worked Sasuke had eaten half of the soup before he put it back down. Shikamaru figured that half was better than nothing.

"You look tired. I better head out and let you get some sleep. I'll come see you later."

"Thanks Shikamaru."

"Anytime Sasuke"

Shikamaru went out of the bedroom and closed the door behind him. He wanted to speak with Kakashi and he didn't want Sasuke to hear it. He went back out into the living room to see Kakashi sitting down on the couch with his favorite orange book in his hand. Kakashi looked up when he heard Shikamaru coming down the hall.

"You were in there longer than I thought."

"He didn't kick me out at least."

Shikamaru went over to the couch and leaned against the arm rest.

"How did it go?"

"Better than I thought it would. We talked about nothing important. I was able to get him to eat half of the soup."

"I'll take it. That's better than nothing. How was he around you?"

"He was a little awkward at first, but he started to loosen up and talk. We didn't talk about what happened, but we did talk about how the war isn't his fault. I did my best to help him understand that he couldn't blame himself. He did talk to me about Itachi though."

Kakashi couldn't help the look of surprise on his face at that. It wasn't like Sasuke to speak about Itachi to anyone.

"What did he say?"

"He just talked about growing up mostly. He did mention that people have always told him to move on from what happened. He said he couldn't move on without answers. He said how he needed to know if all those years growing up, if Itachi was being fake or if he was that night. I told him that they had seven years together that no one could be fake for that long. The decision is yours, but I think you need to tell him about Itachi and I think they need to talk. Sasuke needs answers and that's the only way he'll get them. Only Itachi knows the truth behind that night and if he does care about Sasuke as much as you say he does. Then he needs to give him that peace of mind."

"I don't know if he will. I don't even know if he will tell me when Orochimaru is dead. If I do speak with him I'll mention it and see what he says. I agree with you Sasuke needs answers and more importantly he deserves answers. Only Itachi can grant him that though. If I see him I'll tell him."

"He looks horrible." Shikamaru whispered

"He looks better than he did six weeks ago and in six weeks he'll look better than he does now. It's going to take some time. With some help he'll be back to normal."

"I hope so. He's going to try and sleep."

"I appreciate you speaking with him. He needs a friend right now."

"He does need a friend and I am happy to be that friend. I better get home and write my mission report."

"Come by any time Shikamaru."

Shikamaru headed over to the front door when a question came to him.

"The Chounin exams, why wasn't Sasuke granted the rank? In the forest he was able to fight off Orochimaru and his men. He won the third round even though he had just gotten the curse seal and couldn't use his chakra. His battle with Gaara was interrupted, but he demonstrated that he knew how to make strategic moves. Yet the council never granted him the rank."

"That would be for the same reason why they didn't let Sasuke graduate the academy when he was ten."

"Sasuke had the chance to graduate early?"

"Does that really surprise you? When Sasuke turned ten Iruka approached the council and the Third about Sasuke graduating early. The Third was all for it, but he was over ruled by the council. They didn't want him turning into another Itachi. They believed that Sasuke graduating early would only cause problems. When the Chounin exams came around the Third spoke to me privately about the odds that Sasuke wouldn't be allowed to become a Chounin, but he could take the exams so Naruto and Sakura could. The council is worried that Sasuke will become Itachi and because of that Sasuke may never be granted a higher ranking. Tsunade became aware of the council's judgement against Sasuke when she took over. She had heard about how Sasuke handled himself during all portions of the exam, but again she was overruled. Sasuke doesn't have the official title of Chounin, but Tsunade had every intentions of treating him like one."

"So he could potentially do the Chounin exams ten times and still never be granted the rank."

"Until Tsunade is able to change the council's mind about Sasuke; then he will always be a Genin. It's not fair, but like I said Tsunade has every intentions of treating Sasuke like a Chounin. Even if he never gets the title she won't hold him back. Tsunade doesn't believe that someone should have to be penalized by their family's actions."

"That's far from fair. It just never ends for him. I had no idea the council were so prejudice against Sasuke for his brother's actions."

"A lot of people in Konoha are. That's why I'm so worried about some ninja and villagers turning against Sasuke. They are all just waiting for Sasuke to betray us."

"He never will though. He just proved that. He got tortured for a week. He almost died and they still don't trust his loyalty."

"There's nothing Sasuke can do to ever earn the council's trust unfortunately."

"So what he just waits around until the council dies and a new one takes over?"

"Tsunade is working on trying to find a loop hole that will allow her to grant Sasuke a higher ranking without the council's permission."

"I hope she finds one. I'll come by in a couple of days if I don't have a mission."

"Come by any time Shikamaru."

Shikamaru gave a small smile and a nod before heading out. He had paperwork he needed to complete as well as look through some old records. He couldn't believe that Sasuke was denied a ranking due to his name basically. It was wrong and not fair to do to someone. Sasuke worked just as hard as the rest of them and even harder to beat the prejudice of the villagers. Shikamaru couldn't just let that go and he was going to see if he could find some kind of loop hole.

Kakashi got up off of the couch and headed into the bedroom to check on Sasuke. He opened the door quietly in case Sasuke was asleep. He saw that Sasuke was curled up into a pillow lying across the bed. Kakashi couldn't help, but smile at the sight in front of him. It was good that he was able to sleep and Kakashi had a feeling it had a lot to do with being out of the hospital. Kakashi went over to the bedside table and picked up the tray with the mug on it. Sasuke had actually eaten half of the soup and drank all of the water so Kakashi was happy with that. He knew it would take some time for Sasuke to get his full appetite back. Kakashi quietly walked out of the bedroom with the tray in hand. Once the tray was put away he went back over to the couch and read his favorite book while Sasuke slept.


	18. Chapter 18

It was around midnight when Kakashi heard his front door open. He was originally asleep in his bed and had only been there for less than two hours. Sasuke was having nightmares tonight so Kakashi had moved to be in the bed next to him. It was easier this way when he woke from a nightmare Kakashi could be there for him and comfort him. Yesterday Sasuke's body was so exhausted that the nightmares didn't come, but now that his body had caught up on some sleep the nightmares were at full force. He had already been woken up by three of them and it was barely midnight. Kakashi looked to make sure that Sasuke was still asleep and once he was certain he got up out of bed and carefully headed out into the living room. Kakashi didn't know if it was someone friendly or if it was an enemy coming in to get Sasuke. Kakashi made his way into his living room to find Itachi standing there.

Kakashi let himself relax slightly now that he knew it wasn't Orochimaru coming to get Sasuke. Itachi was looking at him and he appeared to be tired. It was clear that he hadn't slept much in the three weeks that have passed.

"Itachi what are you doing here?" Kakashi made sure he kept his voice quiet so he wouldn't wake Sasuke. He made his way over to his couch and sat down, signally for Itachi to do the same.

"I just wanted to let you know that I killed Orochimaru. Kabuto was nowhere to be found so I'm sure once he gets word of what happened he'll be preparing an army."

"We can handle Kabuto and the Sound. Orochimaru was the problem and now that he is taken care of Konoha will be able to protect Sasuke."

"How is he?"

"The last three weeks have been hard for him. Physically he's still in a lot of pain it's going to take a few months before he is completely pain free. He's not allowed to use any chakra for at least six months and even then he has to start out slow."

"Is he sleeping okay?"

"Not really. The nightmares keep coming it's making it difficult for him to get rest. He did though see Shikamaru today. He has refused to see anyone for the past three weeks. Shikamaru came by today to speak with me and him and Sasuke actually talked for a little while."

"Shikamaru was there when he was in the Sound?"

"He was; he was in charge actually. It was his first mission as a Chounin and obviously that didn't go over so well. He didn't go back to work until three weeks ago."

"What happened in the Sound would be hard for anyone who was there. Shikamaru was placed in charge of the retrieval mission, he must feel like what happened to Sasuke was partially his fault."

"He does and it doesn't matter how many times or how many people say otherwise. We've all been there before though and in time he will get passed it. He did talk to Sasuke about something I think you should know."

"What?"

"Sasuke wants to move passed what happened to the Clan, but he can't do that without answers. I know you have your own reasons for why you did what you did. I know you love him or you wouldn't be here. Sasuke though, he doesn't know about any of this. I know you didn't want him knowing and in the beginning I agreed with you, but now. I think he needs to know that it's you protecting him and he needs answers so he can move on. I know this isn't easy at all for either of you, but Sasuke will never be able to move on from the Clan's death without answers and only you can give him that. He needs the truth Itachi so he can heal."

Itachi let out a sigh as he thought about it for a minute. He knew one day that Sasuke would have questions and come looking for answers. He was hoping that this day would be in a few years from now. There really was no telling how Sasuke would handle the truth and with everything going on in Konoha right now it wasn't a good time.

"What I am about to tell you stays between us. If I make the decision to tell Sasuke the truth he might not want to stay in Konoha."

"I'll do everything I can to protect Sasuke even if it means keeping this a secret."

"For a while before the Clan was killed I had been working as a double spy. The Clan wanted me to spy on Konoha while I was in the ABNU, they were planning a coup. The Clan was upset and bitter towards Konoha from all the abuse over the years. The Clan was part of the reason why Konoha was even created in the first place and instead of being praised and respected they were treated like dirt. The compound was built as a way of keeping the Uchiha's in one area barely inside Konoha's wall. The third and the council knew that the Clan wouldn't stay silent forever and they had me spy on them. When I reported back that the Clan was thinking of attacking Konoha that was when I was given the order to kill them."

"Who ordered that?"

"The third and the council."

Kakashi couldn't believe it. The third had actually ordered Itachi to kill his own family. It didn't seem real. Even if the Clan was thinking about attacking Konoha he couldn't believe that the third wouldn't even try to make peace with the Uchiha's.

"They ordered you to kill your family?"

"They did including Sasuke. They had given me some time to think about it. When I had gotten home that night Sasuke was in his room. I wasn't going to kill them, I was fully prepared to tell them no and there was nothing they could do about it. When I opened his bedroom door that's when everything changed. For a while I had known that some people in the Clan were giving him a hard time. It was little things like pushing him around and calling him names. That night everything changed. I opened his door and found not only father, but five other males from the Clan beating him. I wasn't supposed to have returned so soon and if I hadn't I might have never have known it was going on. They all left and I took Sasuke to the hospital. I found out that it had been happening for years, but before I was due to return they would heal him so it never happened. Though for days or sometimes weeks he would be in pain. That night I knew I had to protect him. So a week later I told Sasuke to stay late at the academy and practise. I told him that I would meet him later. Everything would have been fine, but Sasuke knew he had to be home by a certain hour or Father would punish him. Sasuke walked into the house just in time to see me kill them. Once that happened I knew I had to leave. So I lied to him and I left. Before I left Konoha I spoke with Danzou and the Third. I told them I would go and spy on the Akatsuki and keep them updated if they were to strike Konoha. All they had to do was to keep Sasuke safe. When the third was killed I came back as a reminder to Danzou, that I was still very much alive. I thought Orochimaru was just looking to destroy Konoha. I had no idea he was after Sasuke."

"None of us really expected Orochimaru to make an appearance. When he showed during the Chounin exams and went after Sasuke it surprised us all. You know about the curse seal?"

"Orochimaru was bragging about it. I'm looking for a way to remove it."

"You're worried that when Sasuke finds out it was Konoha who betrayed the Clan; that he'll turn against Konoha?"

"I'm worried that during this time when he needs Konoha's protection that he won't trust Konoha. I'll speak to him, but if he wants to leave I'm not going to stop him. You and I both know the safest place for him to be is with me."

"I'm not going to argue that point, but I think Sasuke needs stability right now. He can't exactly be in a base full of S-Class criminals."

"I never said he would be there. I have a place where he can go if this war goes too far. It's a safe place and no one knows where it is, but me. I'll give him a scroll that he can use if he is in trouble. It will transport him there and inform me when it has been used. If it comes down to that then I will go to him and if he wants you there I'll come get you. I will not risk my brother's life for anyone. I made the decision to protect him from them. I killed my Clan, I think that speaks for the length I will go to, to protect him."

"Itachi all I want is for Sasuke to recover and be alright again. Even if that means him being someplace else. Does this mean you'll be speaking to him about this?"

"I will. I need to do that now though, I have to be gone by sunrise."

"He's asleep so be careful when you wake him. We don't know how he will react to you being there."

Itachi gave a nod and got up from the couch. He headed down the hall and into the bedroom that was holding his injured baby brother. Itachi was quiet when he entered the room. Sasuke was curled up in the bed asleep and Itachi was able to see the bruising and injuries that still littered his skin. Itachi went and sat down at the side of the bed. He moved his hand and gently stroked some of the hair out of Sasuke's face.

"Nisan" Itachi said in a soft gentle voice. He didn't want to scare Sasuke and he truly didn't know how well Sasuke would react to him being there. Sasuke began to stir and a small groan escaped his lips as the pain started to come back to him. Sasuke opened his eyes to find the last person he ever thought he would see again.

"Itachi?" confusion was clear in Sasuke's voice.

"It's okay I'm not here to hurt you. I just want to talk."

Sasuke went to roll over onto his back, but the pain was too much and he couldn't keep the look of pain off his face.

"Don't move. Your body is in a lot of pain try not to move around too much. Do you have something you can take for the pain?"

"Ya it's over on the side table."

Itachi got up and went over to the other side of the bed and grabbed a pill and the glass of water. He went back and sat down on the bed. He helped Sasuke sit up slightly so he could take the pill and drink from the glass. Once that was done Itachi took the glass back from Sasuke and put it back down on the side table. Once Itachi was back to sitting down on the side of the bed he got to the point of being here.

"I'm not here to fight with you. I'm here, because I want to talk to you about a few things. I know you have questions about what happened growing up. I'm going to do my best in answering those questions. I want you to know that Orochimaru is dead. Kakashi contacted me three weeks ago and told me what had happened. I was the one that went after Orochimaru and he is now dead and can never hurt you again."

"The war?"

"Kabuto is still alive. He wasn't there with Orochimaru. I'm going to continue looking for him and when I find him I'll kill him. For right now a war still looks like a very real outcome. I want you to know though, that whatever happens, it's not your fault. Orochimaru had been trying to get revenge against Konoha for years now. Ever since he was made an exile by the Third. Orochimaru is just using you as a tool for his revenge that's all. He used to be in the Akatsuki and he tried to take my Sharigan; obviously he failed and that was around the time he left. He must have decided to go looking for you. This isn't your fault Sasuke none of this is your fault."

"I know that, but I just don't feel that way."

"It's going to take some time, but one day you will feel that way. Right now everything is still fresh. It's been six weeks since what happened, but you have only been awake for three of those weeks. It's going to take a long time before you're fully okay with everything. Kakashi told me that you haven't been seeing anyone. Why is that?"

"Why do you care who I see and who I don't?"

"I know a lot has happened in the past five years. There's a lot I could have prevented if I hadn't left. I do care about you. You are my baby brother I love you. You're the only person I have ever loved. I regret leaving and if I could I would go back and do it differently. We used to sit up at night and talk all night long. I missed those days. I miss being able to come to you when I felt down. You always could make me smile and feel human again. I miss teaching you techniques. I miss cooking you food and helping you with your homework. When you went into the academy I was so proud of you. All I could think about was the day where you would graduate and we could go on missions together. I was in the ANBU, but if asked I would have loved to be a Jounin sensei. I know you don't feel like you want to be around people, but you need to be. Kakashi said you spoke to Shikamaru earlier. That's good. If you hide then you'll never move on. People need to see that you are dealing with everything so they can to. It's hard and a huge step I know, but it's an important one to make."

"Kakashi said the same thing. I told him I would try and take it slow. With Shikamaru it was awkward at first. He was right there and he saw all of it. I didn't know there was a camera in the room that I was taken to. I found out afterwards when Kakashi told me. I don't want people to treat me differently and Shikamaru didn't. He just sat down and talked about what he had been up to and about missions. He acted like it never happened and by doing that it made me feel comfortable around him. I know I have to talk about it eventually, but I don't want to spend all day talking about it. I don't want to be treated differently and I know some of them will."

"There's no guidelines for this type of situation. Some people will be able to be like Shikamaru and understand that you don't want to talk about it. Some people won't be like him and they won't really know how to act. It's human nature to try and make someone feel better, even if that is the last thing the person wants. Just take it slow and get used to being around people again one person at a time. I wanted to come by and make sure you are okay and let Kakashi know that Orochimaru is dead. I wasn't going to speak to you, but I think it's time you got the answers you seek. You're old enough now to know the truth behind the Clan's death."

"You're going to tell me?" Sasuke was surprised that Itachi was actually going to speak to him about this. Sasuke thought for sure he would never get the answers he seeks.

"I am, but I need you to stay calm. Your body is injured and still healing I don't want you to get upset and hurt yourself any further then you are. Do you understand?"

"Yes"

"A week before the Clan's death I was brought into the Hokage's office. For the past few months I had been working as a double spy. The Clan's council had me spying on Konoha so I could report back to them when a good time was for their attack. The Clan was playing on taking over Konoha, or taking back I should say."

"Taking back?"

"When Konoha was first built, Uchiha Madara was there. Him and the first Hokage had created the village. However, their Clans had a falling out resulting in a civil war between them. The Uchiha Clan surrendered after too many deaths of their women and children. The Clan was placed in the Compound as a means to keep an eye on them. They also made it so no Uchiha could be in the ANBU and they had the police station as their form of power. It stayed that way until the Ninja War with the nine tails. Madara wanted his village back and he released the nine tails demon onto Konoha. The fourth Hokage sealed it inside Naruto as you know; while Madara and the first Hokage fought at the valley of death. Both were killed. Ever since then the hated for the Clan grew stronger and until me there had never been an Uchiha in power. Father and the council saw the opportunity to take back the village by using me. What they didn't know was that I was working as a spy for the Third Hokage. When I reported back to him about the Clan's intentions he spoke to Danzou about a course of action. Do you understand so far?"

Sasuke just gave a nod and allowed his brother to continue on.

"A week before the Clan's death I was brought into the Third's office. I told everyone I was going on a mission; I assumed I would have been. The Third told me that they made the decision to have the Clan killed. Basically they ordered me to commit genocide against my own family. I told them I need some time to think it over. Honestly I wasn't going to do it, but when I had returned home and found what they were doing to you, I knew I had to protect you. So a week later I told you to stay at the academy and I would come get you. I had forgotten that father always had a curfew for you and by the time you got there it was too late. I couldn't tell you the truth, you were too young. What I was hoping for was to get you at the academy and you would have never known I had killed them. It didn't work out that way so I lied to you and went to spy for the Akatsuki. Before I left I made sure to tell the Third and Danzou to leave you alone or I would be back for their head. When the Third was killed I came back to let Danzou know that I was still alive and would still kill him should any harm come to you."

"Why are you telling me all of this now?"

"Because you are old enough to know the truth and more importantly you deserve to know the truth. Sasuke I don't want you to hate Konoha for what it did. In the end I made the decision and I don't regret it. I do regret leaving, but the Clan was going to cost many innocent people their life. I had the ability to put a stop to it and I did."

"So what I'm just supposed to trust a village that killed my own family? I'm supposed to trust them with my life."

"Up until now have you trusted them?"

"Yes, but how can I now?"

"By remembering they are still the same people. The fifth Hokage doesn't even know about this. No one does besides the council. The Hokage wants to protect you if she didn't she wouldn't have sent a team after you. She wouldn't be putting extra ninja on security. Konoha will fight until the end to protect you. I'm not saying to trust everyone in Konoha. You need to listen to what your gut and instincts are telling you, but don't cross out the whole village because of this. The third made his choice and I know it wasn't an easy one for him to make. They made the mistake in putting all Uchiha's in the same box as Madara. Don't make the same mistake they did. Trust your instincts; they will get you through this."

"What if it's not safe here anymore?"

"I have a scroll that I am going to leave for you. If the time comes when you are no longer safe in Konoha use it. You don't have to have any chakra at all just put your hand on the mark and you'll be transported to a safe location. Only I know about the location and I will know when the scroll has been used. I will come get you and keep you safe. Until then Kakashi is here to help you through this."

"You can't stay?"

"I have to finish this mission with the Akatsuki. They are very dangerous and if they are not dealt with a world war could break out all over again. They need to be eliminated. I am working on doing just that. When that is taken care of I could see about coming back, but I'm not sure how well that would go over."

"Because the Hokage doesn't know you were ordered to kill them."

"Exactly. For right now you need to sleep and I need to get out of fire territory before sunrise."

Itachi pulled out the scroll and placed it down on the bedside table.

"Do not lose that and keep it within arms-reach at all times. I love you."

"I love you"

"Get some rest your body needs it to heal. Listen to Kakashi and do as he says he will keep you safe. I'll do my best to come and see you shortly to make sure you are alright. I don't know how long that will be though."

"Ok. Be safe."

"You to. Just focus on getting better. Now go to sleep."

Sasuke gave Itachi a small smile as he got up and headed out of the bedroom. Kakashi was sitting down on the couch still waiting for him to return.

"How did that go?"

"It was fine. He understood and he is going to sleep. He was in pain so I gave him one of his medications."

"Ok. You going back to the Akatsuki I'm assuming."

"I have a mission to complete. I left him the scroll make sure he has it with him at all times. That could be the difference in him living and dying."

"I'll keep him safe Itachi. You just stay alive so you can see him again."

"I'll come by when I get the chance to check up on him. Please keep this a secret."

"I haven't told the Hokage about sending a message out to you. I don't plan on telling her about this. Did you leave Orochimaru in a place where he will be seen?"

"I left him out front of the Sand village. Konoha should be getting word of his death in a few days."

"Good then we can focus on the rest of the Sound."

"I'll search for Kabuto and if I find him I'll kill him. Without a leader the Sound ninjas will just move on to something else."

"Hopefully it will be just that easy."

"I doubt it."

"Be safe Itachi. He just got you back it would destroy him to lose you again."

"I don't plan on dying any time soon. I need to head back. Thank you for your time."

"You know where to find me Itachi."

Itachi gave a nod and headed out. He needed to get back to his mission so he could get it finished. The sooner he could eliminate the Akatsuki the sooner he could try to be with Sasuke again. Assuming he could convince the Hokage to let him back into the village.


	19. Chapter 19

It wasn't until the next day that Sasuke came out of the bedroom. Kakashi had checked on Sasuke throughout the day and night yesterday. He had been asleep each time Kakashi went and checked on him. It was just after one in the afternoon when Sasuke came out of the bedroom. Kakashi had been sitting on the couch reading his favorite orange book when Sasuke walked into the living room. Kakashi could tell that Sasuke was in a great deal of pain. Kakashi was seriously starting to worry about whether or not Sasuke would ever be able to go back to how he used to be. His body was so brutally damaged right now. Sasuke made his way over very slowly to the chair in the living room and he sat down in it. He brought his legs up to curl up into himself and placed the side of his head on the back of the chair so his body was facing Kakashi.

"How are you feeling Sasuke?"

"I'm tired, but I'm stiff from lying down so much."

"I know it's hard right now, but it will get easier bit by bit."

"Right now that seems really hard to believe."

"I know. A long road always appears to be impossible until you reach the end."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything"

"Why are you always late?"

Kakashi let out a sigh. There were certain events in his life and past that he didn't really want to talk about, and that was one of them. The problem was Kakashi couldn't be telling Sasuke that he had to talk about the hard stuff when he wasn't willing to share his.

"I'll tell you what. I'm going to make a rule that either of us gets to ask the other about anything. As long as we are under this roof any questions are allowed. What is shared between us stays between us no matter what it is. Deal?"

Sasuke thought about it for a moment. He would be able to ask Kakashi any questions and get an honest answer, but that also meant that Kakashi got to do the same thing with him. It was fair, but at the same time it sucked, because Sasuke didn't know what Kakashi would ever ask him. The problem was if he wanted Kakashi to be in his life then he had to start to trust him on a more personal level.

"Ok"

"Growing up I was in a group just like you. My sensei was the Fourth Hokage. Like your brother I had climbed the rankings pretty fast and everyone in the village knew I was the one to look out for. I followed every rule and was always early to everything. The Fourth had one golden rule and that was to never leave your teammates behind. He always told us that it didn't matter how good of a ninja you were. It didn't matter if you followed every rule and were a mold citizen. If you left your teammate behind you were scum. I was a lot like you when I was younger. I had a female teammate, Rin, she drove me nuts with her crush on me. I had another teammate that was constantly annoying me and claimed we were rivals. His name was Uchiha Obito."

"You worked with an Uchiha."

"I did for just a little over a year. Obito wasn't like any of the other Uchihas that I had ever met. He didn't really follow the rules of the village and the only orders he followed were the ones he thought were right. Not only that, he was constantly late for everything. We used to joke around saying that he would be late for own funeral. He had a good heart, but we were polar opposite and we fought a lot. It drove the Fourth nuts. We fought in the third ninja war and Rin was kidnapped. We had orders to go and fight in a different location, but Obito wanted to go and get Rin. I wanted to follow orders, but Obito was having none of that and he went after her. I ended up following and got there just in time to help. At one point in the fight I had got cut really bad on my eye, it blinded me instantly out of my left eye. We were on our way out of the cave when I tripped just as a boulder was falling down. Obito had pushed me out of the way and he had gotten half of his body crushed by this boulder. We couldn't get him free. The last thing he said to me was to save Rin and protect her. He took out his eye as a belated gift for me making Jounin and Rin put his eye in me to replace mine. He died right there in front of us. Rin died a few months later in the fight and then the Fourth died the final night of the war. By the end of the war I was the only one left alive from my squad. The only reason I survived was, because of Obito and his Sharigan that he trusted me with. So from that day on in his memory I started to be late for everything. I also learned the greatest lesson I will ever learn and that is not leave your teammates behind."

"So that's why you always turned down Genin squads until us."

"The other squads never learned what it meant to be a team. The three of you figured that out. In that moment I knew the three of you were different. The previous Genin all went back into the academy and the Third never questioned me as to why I wouldn't let them pass. The Third knew how important values are in ninja and if they couldn't work together they wouldn't survive out here."

"So what was it like working with Itachi after being on the same squad as Obito?"

"Your brother is nothing like Obito was. Itachi is powerful and always has been. We were on the same ANBU squad and he was my captain at one point. Your brother was quiet and very well kept together. I think the only one that truly ever saw the real him was you. Everyone else got the Uchiha in him, but you got who he truly was."

"I used to get so mad at him. He would come back from a mission and he would be miserable. He always complained about what he had to do and how he felt trapped and couldn't get away. One day I couldn't take it anymore and I called an idiot. Looking back it's funny, because I was five and the previous month he had called someone on his squad an idiot. I asked him what that was and he explained it to me. I told him he was an idiot for doing something he so clearly hated. I told him I didn't understand why he couldn't just quit and do something else. All he said was that one day I would understand, because one day I would be coming home and complaining to him about the mission I was on. That one day I would be an idiot just like him. He used to tell me the same thing over and over again. He always said that you couldn't control being a ninja, but you could control the type of ninja you would be. He said no matter what happens you fight for the people. It doesn't matter who the Hokage is, you do everything you can to fight for the innocent people even if that means going against the Hokage. I really never understand what he meant until last night when he told me the truth. Now it makes perfect sense."

"Your brother was young when the third war was going on. He would have seen some horrible things. I'm sure that had a lot to do with his decision to follow the council's orders. Itachi saw the Clan as a threat to the innocent lives inside Konoha. Itachi went by his code to protect the innocent people, even from his own Clan. I'm sure it was a very hard decision for him to make."

"I always thought him keeping me alive was out of cruelty. At least now I know the truth."

"You brother loves you, that was very clear when you were younger. You two were always together and he made it very clear that you were untouchable. You saw a different side of him and it was only natural for you to question everything after what happened."

"We were close. I relied on him a lot more than my parents. He was my brother, but at times he was more like a father than a brother."

"Your father wasn't around much?"

Kakashi was always curious about Sasuke's childhood. He knew that Sasuke's father was a hard man to deal with. Kakashi always saw Sasuke out with Itachi and he never saw him out with anyone else.

"He was. He just didn't want me."

"What do you mean he didn't want you?" Kakashi asked with confusion in his voice.

"My parents already had Itachi and to them they didn't need another child. They already had the perfect son and anyone after that would never be good enough. Itachi never told me the whole story. He just told me that he was the one that signed my birth certificate. The memories from growing up always have Itachi in them. He was always the one that took care of me. When he wasn't there from a mission I was basically on my own. I'm not sure why, but I had never asked either."

"So, Itachi is legally your father by him signing your birth certificate."

"I guess. I never really thought about it that way. Growing up it was just him and I. If I had a bad dram I would go to him. If I didn't feel good I would go to him. If I had a problem I would go to him. It was just natural."

"You never wanted to know though, why your father acted the way he did?"

"I never really cared. If he didn't want anything to do with me there wasn't anything I could do to change that. I had Itachi and he was all I needed."

"I can understand that. You grew up with Itachi being your support system. At least now you know the truth about what happened. You have closure now and that's very important. You also have Itachi back in your life. In times like this it's best to focus on the positive things."

"I guess."

"You don't think Itachi being back is a positive thing?"

"It's not that. It's just he's not really back. No one knows the truth and he's still gone on that mission. A mission he could die from."

"That's true he could die from this mission, but you also have to remember that Itachi has a lot to live for. Your brother is very strong and very talented. It's important for you to remember that."

"I know he is. He always came back from mission growing up, but he's not superman. All it will take is for someone to get the upper hand or get lucky and he could be dead. Don't get me wrong I want him back in Konoha, but I just can't get my hopes up just in case he doesn't come back."

"Okay that makes sense. I can understand you not wanting to look forward to something that might not happen. Have you thought more about seeing people?"

"I saw Shikamaru doesn't that count?"

"It does count. I meant more than just him, like your teammates for instance."

"I don't know what to say to them."

Sasuke's voice got quieter and quieter as this conversation was going. Sasuke's throat and vocal cords had been an issue this whole time. They needed time to heal and unfortunately they were going to take the longest to heal.

"You could start off with hello. I heard that is a good way to start a conversation. It's usually followed by how are you."

"You know what I mean."

"I know, but maybe you are over thinking this. Sakura doesn't even know what happened, all she knows is that you were tortured she doesn't know about the other part. As for Naruto just tell him to shut up. He probably won't even bring it up."

"He's going to bring it up, you know he will."

"I could talk to them first. Tell them to keep quiet about what happened. They just want to see you for themselves. They want to know that you are still alive."

"They know I'm still alive."

"But Naruto hasn't seen you since they brought you to the hospital and Sakura hasn't seen you at all. You are their teammate and you're in trouble. They want to see you with their own eyes to reassure themselves that you're going to be okay."

"But we don't know that do we."

Kakashi could tell that Sasuke was getting annoyed by this conversation. Kakashi suppose he had this coming. For weeks now all Sasuke heard was this conversation or Kakashi trying to get information out of him about what happened. It was also the first little spark of the old Sasuke coming through, which gave Kakashi hope that he would be back to his old self one day.

"We don't know what Sasuke?"

Kakashi kept his voice even and calm. He didn't want Sasuke to close up and not talk about anything he was feeling. He wanted Sasuke to open up to him about what happened and more importantly what he was feeling.

"Nothing. I'm gonna go lie down."

"No you are not. Sasuke you can't keep doing this. You can't keep running from your emotions. I can't read your mind. I need you to tell me how you are feeling. I know that's not something you do or are used to doing, but you need to try and tell me what you are feeling. It's important for you to express how you feel especially right now."

"Why, because I was tortured and raped? I didn't matter before what I was feeling so why the hell does it matter now?"

Sasuke was getting pissed Kakashi could clearly see and hear that, but he was going to use this for his advantage.

"It has always mattered how you were feeling. You were tortured and raped Sasuke so yes it matters even more right now how you are feeling. The only way you will ever move past what has happened is if you talk about it and talk about your feelings. I told you in the hospital how important it is for you to talk to me and tell me when you are in pain. It's not just physical pain I was talking about. I need to know how you are feeling, because it's so important. I want you to get better and I know talking about this is hard and there are emotions that you are having that you wish would go away. I'm sorry about what happened. I wish I could have stopped it. I'm trying to stop you from becoming destroyed by what happened. For me to do that I need you to face your fears of talking about it. I need you to push through all the hard stuff so you aren't destroyed by this."

"Why are you pushing so hard when I'm not ready?"

Sasuke's voice was back to being a soft whisper like voice. Kakashi felt horrible about the whole situation. He didn't want to be the bad guy, but he couldn't just sit back and watch Sasuke crash and burn either.

"Because I'm scared of losing you Sasuke. I don't want to be the bad guy in this, but I can't be the guy that sits back and watches you downward spiral. Everything about this is hard and painful. I know you don't want to talk about what happened. I know you don't want to talk about how you feel I get that I do. I wouldn't want to either. You have to though, and I'm not saying right now, but soon you have to talk about it. You don't have to all at once you can do it slowly over time, but soon you're gonna have to start talking about it. At least how you are feeling about what happened."

"I don't know what I feel. I'm so tired and everything hurts. All I want to do is hide from the world, but no one will let me. I'm feeling all these things and none of them make any sense. I just wish I could wake up and none of this ever happened."

"No one can ever tell you that what you feel is wrong Sasuke. You get to be confused right now. You get to feel all these different emotions and not understand them. What happened to you was beyond horrific. I understand you wanting to hide from the world and I'm not saying you can't. If that's something you feel like you need to do for a little while, at least until you figure out what you're feeling then ok. We can do that for a little while. As long as you know that it won't make the problems go away. Eventually you'll have to go out into the world and face everyone. You'll have to face what happened to you, but if you feel like you need some time in order to figure it all out beforehand then okay."

"I know it won't make everything better, but I'm just not ready yet."

"Okay that's okay Sasuke. There's going to be many different steps that you'll have to take to move on from this. We can take those steps one at a time and when you feel like you are ready for them."

"I just… I don't know I feel like… like a part of me is missing. The part that makes me, me and that I'll never get that back. I can deal with the torture. It was painful and horrible, but I can deal with that. It's what _he_ did that when I think about it I feel like I can't breathe."

"Sasuke right now everything appears to be hard and painful. What happened to you, the torture would have been difficult to get passed. What Orochimaru did to you, you'll always remember and if there was a way to make you forget I would do it in a heartbeat. The only thing you can do is to move on from it and the only way to do that is by dealing with it. Orochimaru is dead, but you can't let him take you with him. You have to fight to be who you are so he doesn't win. Right now it seems like having to climb a mountain in a downpour, but it won't always feel that way. I know it's hard to believe right now, but it will become more bearable. You'll never forget, but you can learn to live with it and make it so that it doesn't affect you. That part that you feel that you're missing it will come back in time. You just need to be patient."

"What if it doesn't? What if I can't do this anymore?"

"Can't do this physically?"

"Mentally. What if I can't be a ninja? What if I don't want to be?"

"Well that's okay to. If you don't want to be a ninja anymore then you don't have to be. What you do have to do is make sure that you are quitting for the right reasons. If you aren't happy being a ninja anymore then it's okay to quit. Just make sure it's something you won't regret doing. You could also consider being a different kind of ninja. You could teach for example or work for the Hokage in the tower. You're young Sasuke there are a lot of options out there for you. Just make sure you are making that decision for the right reasons."

"How will I know it's the right decision?"

"When the time comes you'll know. Like I said if you're not sure about quitting you can always try something else within the ninja community. When you are allowed back to work you can start off slow and see how you feel. If you truly don't want to do this anymore than you don't have to."

"Have you ever thought about doing something else?"

"Of course I have. I think everyone has second thoughts about what career they have chosen. It's not about thinking about getting out it's about if you leave will you regret leaving. I've gone through different jobs within being a ninja. I've been a normal Jounin, I've been in ANBU and now I'm a sensei. Ninja start at a young age and over the years there are many times we think about leaving and not looking back. A bad mission, your first kill even something as simple as been doing it for too long. All of that can make a person rethink everything. You've been through a lot in that week Sasuke. If you weren't questioning being a ninja then I would be concerned. I've always stayed being a ninja, because I knew if I left I would regret it. When the time comes for you to make that choice, you'll know what to do."

"I guess only time will tell."

"I know it's hard to believe right now, but everything will be okay again. It's going to take some time, but it will be okay. For now how about some food?"

"I'm not hungry."

"I know, but you need to eat. So is there something you would prefer to eat? Tomato sandwich? Ice cream? Grilled cheese? You need to eat something."

"I don't like ice cream."

"What child doesn't like ice cream?" Kakashi said jokingly.

"I don't know I just never did. I'm not a sweets person."

"Okay I'll remember that. What about the other options?"

"I like grilled cheese. Itachi used to make them all the time. For the longest time it was the only thing he knew how to make."

"Grilled cheese it is then. Do you want to watch some T.V?"

"I don't watch T.V"

"Okay I have to teach you how to be a teenager."

Kakashi joked. He got up and handed Sasuke the remote for the television.

"Turn the T.V on and just flip through until you find a show that interests you. This is what normal people do. You can't be serious all the time. You're thirteen and you need to act like it sometimes."

Kakashi ruffled Sasuke's hair as he went into the kitchen to make some food. Sasuke turned around so he could see the television. He turned the television on and started to flip through the channels. He came across a reality crime show where detectives investigate murders. The show had just started so Sasuke decided to watch it. A few minutes later Kakashi came into the living room and saw what show Sasuke was watching.

"Are you watching a show about murder?" Kakashi couldn't help the surprise in his voice.

"It's a reality show where detectives solve murder cases."

"That interests you?"

Kakashi handed Sasuke a small plate with a grilled cheese on it. He then sat down on the couch with his own. Kakashi couldn't help but be surprised that Sasuke would pick a show like this.

"When I was little I used to read murder mysteries all the time. I don't know why, but it always interested me. It was a puzzle to solve and I like solving puzzles."

"You should be a detective."

"I wanted to, but you don't really get a choice in what you are in the Clan."

"Maybe now you should think about it again. If that is something your passionate about then you should consider pursuing it."

"Maybe"

Kakashi stayed quiet and watched the show with Sasuke. Kakashi was beyond thrilled to see that Sasuke ate the whole sandwich. It was the most he had eaten since he woke up three weeks ago. Once the show was over Sasuke decided to go back to bed for a little while. Kakashi could tell that Sasuke was exhausted still, so he didn't try to change his mind. Kakashi was just happy that Sasuke had spoken to him about what he had been feeling. Today seemed like a step in the right direction for Kakashi and he was hoping that it would continue.

* * *


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay quick little note. I know the age of Kakashi and Mikoto is very different in the anime. For this to work in my story I have changed their ages during the time when Obito was killed. Kakashi was 16 and Mikoto was 20.

Kakashi waited until five o'clock before he summoned Pakun to go and get Tsunade for him. There was something he needed to speak to her about and he didn't want to leave Sasuke alone. With Sasuke sleeping it would give him the chance to speak to Tsunade without him hearing it or wondering what was going on. The truth is Kakashi's mind was going a mile a minute ever since Sasuke mentioned his childhood. Kakashi knew there had to be a reason for Fugaku to have neglected Sasuke growing up. Even if Sasuke was a surprise Fugaku wouldn't have ignored him just because he didn't want Sasuke. Fugaku was a hard man, but he still would have taken care of his son and he would never have let Itachi do it over him. Something must be the reasoning behind it and Kakashi was worried it was from a mistake he had made a long time ago. Twenty minutes later there was a knock at his front door. Kakashi opened it to see Tsunade standing there on the other side. He didn't let her in; instead Kakashi went out and closed the door behind him. They were standing on his front porch where Kakashi knew Sasuke wouldn't hear or see them.

"Kakashi what's going on?" Tsunade sounded concerned, but annoyed at the same time.

"Do you have a sample of Sasuke's and my blood?"

"Of course I do. I have one for every ninja just in case something happens."

"I need you to run them for comparison."

"Comparison for what?"

"For DNA"

"Why would I do that? Sasuke's an Uchiha and you're a Hatake your DNA won't show anything."

"Because Sasuke might not be a full Uchiha."

"Kakashi what are you talking about?"

Kakashi let out a sigh. This was a story he had never told anyone. He wasn't proud of what he had done and at the time he knew it was wrong, but he did it anyways.

"You know about the mission that Rin, Obito and I were on. It was our last mission."

"The one where Rin was kidnapped and Obito died saving your life. The one that gave you that eye."

"When we got back everything was crazy for a little while. I felt like I had failed and in a way I did. Everything changed that day that he died. I changed. I was sixteen and I made a mistake. I went out and went to this bar that would serve underage ninja back then. Uchiha Mikoto was there. I sat down and she came over. She had been drinking, but she wasn't drunk. We started talking and drinking. She was upset about Fugaku and the way he had been treating her. She was twenty and a mom of a five year old boy that, well it was Itachi so no more really needs to be said about that. One thing led to another and we ended up sleeping together. She was gone before I woke up the next morning. I knew I had made a mistake, a huge mistake. She was a married woman with a young son. We were both drunk it shouldn't have happened. It got busy with missions and the war that I didn't see her again for six months. When I saw her she was pregnant. I only ever saw her once and I asked her about it. She said it was none of my business. That the baby was Fugaku's. I was sixteen I didn't want to be a father so I let it go and didn't think twice about it. I saw Sasuke growing up and he looked exactly like Mikoto so I never thought twice about the possibilities."

"So why now Kakashi? What's the point in finding out now after thirteen years?"

"Earlier we were talking and he mentioned his childhood. Apparently Itachi is Sasuke's legal father. Fugaku never signed his birth certificate. He said Fugaku always ignored him and acted like he wasn't even his son. The only time I saw Sasuke was when Itachi was with him. What if Fugaku isn't his father and he knew it? Maybe there isn't a point in bring this up, but what if he is mine?"

"Well let's look at that. What if he is yours Kakashi? Then what? You just said what you did was a mistake that would make Sasuke a mistake."

"Sasuke's not a mistake. Sleeping with Mikoto was, because she was married but if Sasuke is mine he would never be a mistake. I've always felt something for Sasuke especially since we have been on a squad together. Maybe there is a reason for that. His chakra is a lot like mine maybe that's not a coincidence. Maybe he's a lot like me, because he is me. I know I'm taking a risk in finding out, but if I am his father then he doesn't have to feel alone."

"If this comes out that Sasuke is your son it won't be easy Kakashi. Sasuke will be upset and feel betrayed that you never told him. He might not want anything to do with you. It's not easy to find out that after thirteen years the man you thought was your father turned out to be someone else. Even if he didn't have a close relationship with him, Fugaku was still his father to Sasuke. It's not going to be easy to get over this combined with what he already has to deal with. This could push him over the edge."

"I know there are a lot of factors and different outcomes for this. I have to know though. I shouldn't have let this go when I was younger and if it turns out that he is mine. I'll regret letting this go if he is mine. I should have stepped up and found out from the start, but I didn't. I can't make that mistake again I need to know. I don't have to tell him if he is mine, but at least I'll know the truth."

"Alright I can run the DNA and see what it comes back as. If it does come back that Sasuke is yours then you need to think about every possible outcome before you decide on whether you'll tell him or not."

"I know. The first step is finding out and then I'll see what to do next."

"Did Sasuke say anything else?"

"We talked a little bit about what happened. He didn't really want to talk about what happened. He knows he has to talk about it, but at the same time he's sick of always talking about it. I got him to eat a sandwich at least and he was out of bed for a couple hours. He went back to sleep about an hour ago."

"That's good that he is slowly starting to talk about it and opening up to you."

Kakashi and Tsunade turned their attention to the group that was walking towards Kakashi's home. Kakashi could feel his annoyance start to increase.

"Looks like you are about to get some company. I'll get to work on that test and let you know."

"Thank you Tsunade-Sama."

"Good luck"

Tsunade went and headed back to her office so she could do some research herself about Sasuke's childhood. Kakashi got off his front porch and went to meet the group of students that were coming his way. Kakashi knew that they were going to see him and that they were here to see Sasuke. Kakashi was getting really pissed off and annoyed that they couldn't respect Sasuke's wishes. Kakashi stopped and looked at the group that contained; Naruto, Sakura, Neji, Shino and Kiba.

"You better be just passing by and not here to see Sasuke."

"We're taking a stand Kakashi-Sensei." Naruto said

"Actually Neji and I are just here to ask how Sasuke is doing." Shino said

"So what are you here for Kiba?"

"To be honest I just want to see how this turns out. I mean I get that Sasuke wants some space, but how long are we supposed to pretend like nothing happened?"

"Is it true Kakashi-Sensei was Sasuke really raped?" Sakura asked with a soft voice.

"Who the hell told you that?" Kakashi was clearly pissed off and it was a new one for the young group.

"Naruto-Kun"

"Naruto why would you tell her that? You were ordered to keep your mouth shut."

"I was upset it just came out. Besides Sakura has the right to know the truth about what happened."

"And Sasuke doesn't have the right to privacy? Did you even think about how Sasuke would feel about it?"

"I was mad it just came out Sensei."

"How many people know about this?"

Naruto and Sakura looked down at the ground. The rest of them didn't know that Sakura had even known about the rape. They knew that Kakashi would be furious if anyone else knew about Sasuke being raped.

"Who knows?" Kakashi didn't even want to have this conversation. He couldn't believe that they were so stupid to go around talking about this.

"Everyone in the group knows. It wasn't just Sakura there when I said it. What's the big deal? He can't just pretend like it didn't happen besides it's not our fault that he was raped. He can't just hide forever he needs to get over it."

"Naruto that's not something you go around telling people. It's his story you had no right to tell anyone, especially because we were ordered not to." Neji said

"We only want to help." Sakura said lightly

"You know I was actually telling him earlier that he needs to see you. That you're his teammates and that you wouldn't treat him differently. That he needs to at least see you two so you can see for yourself that he is alive. Now I understand why he doesn't want to see anyone. This is how you act? You go around with your big mouth telling people about something incredible personal and private. Stay away from Sasuke all of you unless I say otherwise."

"That's not fair! Shikamaru can come see him and he doesn't even like Sasuke, but we can't. He can't just sit around feeling sorry for himself. He needs to get the hell over it." Naruto said clearly angry.

"Naruto shut up. You don't even see where you've gone wrong." Neji said

"There's no right or wrong way to go about healing from something like this. This isn't something that a person can just get over in a week. I can only speak for myself, and I didn't know anyone else was told about this." Shino said

"Shikamaru gets to see Sasuke, because he understands how delicate this situation is. He doesn't yell at Sasuke or tell him what he needs to do. You know what they talked about the other day, absolutely nothing. Shikamaru talked about his mission that he had been on. Shikamaru gets to see Sasuke, because he doesn't treat him differently or push a subject he knows Sasuke can't talk about."

"But we can do that and we're his team." Sakura said.

"Clearly you can't. And for the record he isn't sitting around feeling sorry for himself. He can barely walk from the bedroom to the living room. His body is completely damaged and will take at least six months before he can even start to think about training. You should be out here helping him stay safe, but instead you're talking about a private subject to people. So clearly you can't be supportive of him."

"Kakashi-Sensei what can we do?" Kiba asked

"You can keep your mouth shut and your ears open. You all seem to have forgotten or not noticed the war that is going on. The war that the Sound has started. The war that its sole purpose is to kill Sasuke. I don't know about you, but I would like to keep Sasuke alive. Seeing as you two are more interested in talking then training then you won't have a problem with no training. Until I say so I won't be training either of you and you won't be going on missions. If I hear any of you or the others talking about Sasuke you will face the same fate."

"Kakashi-Sensei that's not fair!" Naruto said

"No what isn't fair is what happened to Sasuke. What isn't fair is Sasuke having to worry about not only getting better, but if he'll live to see tomorrow. What isn't fair is you running your mouth about something you have no right talking about. If you can't understand that then I will personally put your ass back into the academy until you learn what it means to be a ninja. Now all of you get out of my sight and stay away from Sasuke."

The others looked like they were going to protest, but the fact that Kakashi was mad was enough to have them leave. Kakashi had never been mad at them before and they had never seen him made before. They knew Kakashi was going to be stressed out, but they never expected him to act like this. He was so mad and they really didn't know what to do or to say to make it better. Neji was the only one that didn't walk away. Kakashi turned to walk away, but stopped when Neji called to him.

"Kakashi-Sensei"

"What?"

"I didn't know that Naruto had told people. I didn't know that Sakura now knew. I didn't even tell my family what happened during that week. I honestly just came to see how Sasuke was doing and to tell you something."

"What is it?"

"It might just be a rumor, but I heard some Jounins talking. They were on their way back from a mission when they saw four Sound ninjas sitting around talking. They're apparently called the Sound Four. They were talking about how they were going to get revenge for Orochimaru. If what they said was true then those ninjas are on their way here for Sasuke."

"Have you told anyone?"

"Not yet I was going to tell Tsunade-Sama after I saw you."

"Go tell her and then go and find Shikamaru. Once you find him both of you come back here. If they are coming for Sasuke they'll come here. Have Tsunade send Asuma and Gai here as well just in case."

"Yes sir."

Kakashi turned and went back to go inside. He didn't want to leave Sasuke alone for very long just in case he had a nightmare. He couldn't believe how stupid Naruto had been about this situation. He was standing by what he had said he would do. If Naruto didn't smarten up he would put him back into the academy to learn what it truly meant to be a ninja. Kakashi wasn't going to tolerate this from anyone especially Naruto. Sasuke had every right to feel the way that he does and if he didn't feel ready to see anyone then that was his decision to make and no one else's. Kakashi went into the bedroom and sat down on the side of the bed. He didn't want to wake Sasuke up he just wanted to look at him. Kakashi knew that the start of the war was coming and all he could do was hope that he would be ready for it.


	21. Chapter 21

It was thirty minutes later when everyone was in Kakashi's living room. Neji had gone and informed Tsunade about what he had heard from the other ninja. He then went and retrieved Shikamaru, Asuma and Gai and brought them back to Kakashi's apartment. Tsunade had said she would come by shortly once she was done with some of her work. Sasuke was still asleep in the bedroom and Kakashi was hoping he would stay that way until they were able to go over what Neji had heard.

"How is Sasuke?" Asuma asked.

"He's sleeping for now so let's make this quick. I don't want him to wake up and have everyone here." Kakashi said.

"Neji what did you hear?" Gai asked.

"I heard a couple ninja talking about how they saw some Sound ninjas, there were four of them. Based on what I heard of the conversation it sounded like they were heading this way." Neji explained.

"They could be scouts. Trying to get intel on the best way to get to Sasuke." Asuma said.

"But Orochimaru knows Konoha. What purpose would he have to have scouts?" Shikamaru asked.

"He doesn't know where I live for starters. The village also has been rebuilt since he has lived here. He could be trying to find the easiest and quickest way in with the least amount of guards." Kakashi said even though he knew that Orochimaru was long dead.

"So what are we going to do?" Shikamaru asked.

"What can we do? We don't know if the Sound ninjas were coming to scout out Konoha and even if they were. They could be anywhere right now. All we truly can do is keep an eye out for anything suspicious." Gai said.

"So we don't do anything? We just wait till we get attacked? Why don't we just go after the Sound? They already declared war. Why are we just waiting for them?" Neji said.

"What can we do? War is not about striking first it's about surviving and victory. If we attack the Sound when we are not ready then Orochimaru will win. We have to be patient and wait for them to make the move. Konoha has one of the best defences in this world. Our best plan is to plan a defence and wait for them to come to us." Gai said.

"That puts Sasuke at a risk by having the Sound fighting here in Konoha instead of out there." Asuma said.

"But if we leave Konoha unprotected then Sasuke is at a risk for not having any protection. That could be what Orochimaru wants. He could want us to go to the Sound and leave Sasuke unprotected." Shikamaru said.

"What did Tsunade have to say about this?" Kakashi asked.

"She wasn't happy. She said she was working on something, but she will come up with a decision about what to do. She seemed a little distracted to be honest." Neji said.

"She has a lot on her plate right now. I'll discuss this with her, but I think we need to get the Sand involved. If war does break out then we will need as many allies as we can." Kakashi said.

"The Sand was against us during the Chounin exams, but since then they have been trying to renew the peace treaty with Konoha. This would be a good chance for them to prove their loyalty to Konoha." Asuma said.

"Can we trust them?" Gai asked.

"They have been helpful so far and they might even know a few locations for the Sound. It didn't help that Orochimaru killed their leader. Gaara is now in charge or in training for it. He's trying to get the Sand to change and become an actual ninja village. I think he will be more than happy to bite at this chance." Kakashi said.

"Gaara? As in the same Gaara that tried to kill Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked.

"He's changed a lot since then. Fighting Sasuke and Naruto in the forest seemed to truly change him. He said that Sasuke had the same eyes as him. Gaara sees Sasuke as an equal and quite possibly a potential friend. I believe that Gaara would help in this situation." Kakashi said.

"So then let's send word for them and other villages to see who will stand by Konoha." Shikamaru said.

"I'll speak to Tsunade when she comes about it. I'm sure she was in the middle of doing just that. Right now I think until we are told otherwise to just keep a good look out."

"That's it?" Neji asked.

"That's all we can do right now. I know this is frustrating, but we really don't have much of an option. We can't leave the village open to an attack. This is the best option we have." Asuma said.

"This sucks." Shikamaru said.

"I know, but it's for the best." Kakashi said.

"I heard you had a little problem with the other Rookies." Asuma said.

"What happened?" Shikamaru asked.

"Naruto told Sakura and everyone else about Sasuke being raped." Neji said.

"He what?" You could hear the anger in Shikamaru's voice.

"I didn't know." Neji said.

"Why would he do that?" Shikamaru asked to no one in particular.

"He was stupid and angry. He should have kept his mouth shut, but he didn't. Now we have to deal with everyone knowing when you were all ordered to keep quiet about it." Kakashi said the anger could still be heard in his voice.

"Naruto should have known better then to talk about this even in anger. This could end up being all over the village. There's no telling who heard about this while Naruto was ranting to everyone." Asuma said.

"Why would it be so horrible for everyone to know?" Neji asked with confusion.

"People could use it against him, not physically, but verbally. They could say horrible things to him about it and those words can hurt a lot more than a punch. It's not something that you share with people. This is supposed to be kept quiet so Sasuke can move on from it. If the village found out the healing time could be doubled or tripled." Kakashi said.

"This was something very personal and it should not have been spoken about outside around people. Naruto made a huge mistake and it's one that he will have to face the consequences for." Gai said.

"From what I heard he already is." Asuma said.

"What is his punishment?" Shikamaru asked.

"No missions and I won't train him and Sakura until I think they have learned a lesson. The same goes for the rest of you that decide to speak about this." Kakashi said.

"I'll make sure my squad doesn't say anything." Asuma said.

"Same goes for me." Gai said.

"I appreciate the support." Kakashi said.

The conversation was cut short when they heard the bedroom door open. Everyone's attention turned to the hallway as they saw Sasuke slowly make his way down the hall. Shikamaru moved out of the chair so Sasuke could sit down. As Sasuke got closer to them Shikamaru spoke.

"Are you alright?"

"Ya"

Neji couldn't believe how bad Sasuke was. His voice was raw and rough and he was having a hard time just walking. Sasuke slowly sat down in the empty chair.

"How are you feeling Sasuke?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm fine."

"Are you hungry?" Kakashi asked.

Sasuke just shook his head no. "What's going on?"

"Nothing for you to worry about. We were just talking about what to do for the Sound." Kakashi said.

Sasuke was confused. Itachi had told him that he killed Orochimaru so what was there to talk about. Kakashi could see the confusion on his face so he continued on before Sasuke mentioned Orochimaru being dead.

"We were just discussing that we should see about getting other villages on our side for when the Sound ninjas try to attack us. The pros and cons of making the first strike or not. Even if Orochimaru ended up dead the Sound could still look for revenge. We've talked about it and I'll speak to Tsunade about it, but right now the best thing to do is to wait."

Kakashi could see the understanding in Sasuke's eyes and he knew that the others didn't know about Orochimaru being dead yet. You could cut the tension in the room with a knife. It was clear that Sasuke was uncomfortable with the amount of people in the room. Shikamaru had an idea though.

"Sasuke when was the last time you were outside in the sun?"

"I don't know. The day I was taken I guess."

"So seven weeks ago. Why don't Neji, you and I go outside and sit in the sun for a little while. The sunlight will do you some good for the natural vitamins." Shikamaru said with a smile on his face.

Sasuke looked over to Kakashi to see how he felt about it. Kakashi could tell that Sasuke didn't know if he should or shouldn't go outside.

"That's a good idea. The sunlight will do you some good. It's important for you to get the natural vitamins from the sun. I'm sure Tsunade would agree that this is a good idea." Kakashi said encouragingly.

Sasuke gave a small nod and slowly got up. Shikamaru and Neji got up as well and Shikamaru stayed close to Sasuke in case he needed some help. Neji opened the back door and they made their way out into the warm sunlight. Kakashi could still see them from his spot on the couch and for that he was grateful for. It was weird for Sasuke to be outside. He had only been outside for that half hour when he left the hospital. It was hard for Sasuke's eyes to adjust to the sun's harsh light. Sasuke slowly sat down in one of the patio couches that Kakashi had set up outside. He sat down and brought his legs up to his chest. He tried his best to get comfortable. He picked the couch that was facing the back door window so he could still see Kakashi. Being able to see Kakashi made Sasuke feel safe and a little more at ease. Shikamaru sat down at the other end of the couch and Neji sat in one of the chairs. Both Shikamaru and Neji could hear Sasuke breathing hard from just the simple walk over here. Shikamaru had already seen Sasuke since the attack so he wasn't that surprised, but Neji hadn't seen him and he couldn't believe how bad Sasuke was. His condition was a lot worse than Neji had expected.

Sasuke had never seen Kakashi's backyard before and he had to admit it was really nice. There were stylish and comfortable patio furniture, a wood pit for a small fire at night, there was a grill and a small bar fridge. Shikamaru got up off the couch and went over to the small fridge. He opened it and was happy to see that there were a couple cold water bottles. He grabbed one for Sasuke and then headed back over to them. He handed Sasuke the water bottle with a smile and an explanation.

"You need to stay hydrated. It will help with the shaking."

Sasuke didn't even notice that he was shaking until he reached out for the water bottle. Shikamaru made sure he opened it first though, because he knew Sasuke didn't have the strength in his hands just yet.

"Thanks." Sasuke said softly back.

He took a few small sips of the water at a time. The cold did help his throat feel better and for that he was thankful for. Sasuke turned his eyes to the three adults in the house. They were still talking, but Sasuke couldn't help the feeling that someone was hiding something from him. Sasuke turned his eyes back to Shikamaru.

"Can I trust you?"

Shikamaru was shocked that Sasuke would ask him that.

"Of course you can trust me Sasuke."

"So if I ask you something you'll tell me the truth?"

"Yes"

"What is everyone hiding from me?"

"What makes you think we're hiding something from you?"

"I'm injured, not stupid."

Shikamaru had to give that to Sasuke, Sasuke was smart which makes it very hard to lie to him. The problem was if Shikamaru told Sasuke the truth Kakashi could be mad at him, but if he didn't tell Sasuke and he found out that he had lied to him. Then Sasuke would be mad and wouldn't trust him anymore. Shikamaru had to make a decision and he really didn't have time to think it out.

"If I tell you, you need to stay calm."

"I know."

"Naruto was over here earlier I guess. I wasn't here, but Neji was with him and a few others."

"Ino, Sakura, Shino and Kiba were with Naruto and I. I came to speak to Kakashi about something I heard about the Sound. The others were coming here to try and see you. Naruto was angry and he wasn't planning on taking no for an answer." Neji explained.

"Naruto apparently, during one of his rants about not seeing you; he told Sakura and a few others that you were raped." Shikamaru said gently.

"According to Naruto the rest of the group knows. Naruto said some pretty stupid things that made Kakashi furious. Myself, Shino and Kiba didn't know that Naruto had said anything. Naruto didn't understand why Kakashi was getting so mad and Kakashi told all of us to keep our mouth shut. That Naruto and Sakura wouldn't be going on missions and he wouldn't be training them until he feels like they have earned it. He did tell Naruto that if he couldn't understand where he went wrong then Kakashi would send him back into the academy. He told the rest of us we would receive the same fate if we talked." Neji finished explaining.

"Kakashi is worried about people outside of our group hearing about it. He doesn't want anyone to say anything hurtful to you." Shikamaru finished.

Sasuke didn't know what to think about that or even how to feel. Recently all Sasuke had felt was the physical pain and then just emptiness. He knew that he should feel something about what happened, but he just didn't. Sasuke just gave a small nod and Shikamaru and Neji could tell that his mind wasn't really there.

"Sasuke are you okay?" Shikamaru asked gently.

"I don't… I don't know."

"You don't know what?" Shikamaru asked keeping his voice gentle and calm.

Shikamaru didn't want to sound condescending he just wanted to remain calm and he was hoping Sasuke would feel more comfortable talking.

"I don't know what I feel. I don't feel anything. Not anger, not sadness, nothing just empty."

"Sasuke I don't know anything about this, but I would imagine that your mind is just going through the motions. Just because you don't know what you're feeling, that isn't the same as not feeling anything. I can't tell you what to feel or that what you are feeling is right or wrong, because I don't know. Honestly though, I don't think anyone can tell you how to feel about all of this." Shikamaru said.

"Sasuke I think what is important for you to understand is that sometimes you won't know how you feel. That doesn't mean that something is wrong with you. It just means you're human." Neji added softly.

Sasuke didn't say anything he just gave a small distant nod. Shikamaru knew that Sasuke's mind was trying to figure all of this out and it wasn't an easy task. He decided that for now that was enough about this topic.

"Neji how was your mission?"

"It was actually pretty boring which is never good on my squad."

"Why?" Sasuke asked.

"Because when Lee gets bored it just means trouble for the rest of us. Gai-Sensei thinks of some 'fun' activity for us to do. Lee gets all excited and into it and that just leave Tenten and me wishing for it to be over. In the end the four of us spent five days out in the blazing hot sun helping this little old lady. The worst part was this old lady had a lot of money so it was ranked a C level mission. It was only supposed to be a three day trip in total, but Gai-sensei and Lee just loved this old lady they kept volunteering to do more."

"That sucks." Sasuke said with a small smile on his face.

It was the first time that either Neji or Shikamaru had ever seen anything close to a smile on Sasuke in a very long time. They didn't say anything and they acted like they didn't even see it.

"That's actually really funny." Shikamaru said.

"Ya real funny. I think that might just be my worse mission yet."

"Really out of all of them a little old lady is yours?" Shikamaru asked.

"Five days spent out in the hot sun for eight hours straight helping this old lady. Probably ya. What's yours?"

Shikamaru knew very well what his worst mission was. It was his first mission as a Chounin and he failed miserably. The mission to rescue Sasuke, but he wasn't going to say that.

"I don't know they are all troublesome in their own way. I've had a lot of ones that have been just stupid, but none that were down right horrible. What about you Sasuke?"

"Land of Waves." Sasuke didn't even have to think about it.

"Why what happened?" Shikamaru asked.

"First we were told it was a C-rank mission. All we had to do was escort this bridge builder home. We're not even two hours from Konoha when we get attacked by two Chounin ninja. Then we find out that he lied and that this dangerous mob boss is trying to kill him, because he's building this bridge that will increase the lands independence. Later on that day we get attacked by an S-Class criminal. Kakashi got captured in this water prison leaving the three of us to get him out. We do and we thought the S-Class criminal was dead. Only to find out a few days later that he wasn't actually killed and we have to fight him and his student. Naruto isn't even there for the beginning of the fight and I get trapped in this ice mirror technique."

"Ice mirror technique? What is that?" Neji asked.

"It's a rare bloodlimit technique that uses these ice mirrors and they create a circle around you. The user goes into the mirror and can travel through them and the user throws needles at you."

"Cool" Shikamaru said.

"Not when you're in it. To make it worse this guy was fast as hell and I could barely keep up with him. Kakashi is busy fighting the criminal and Sakura is left to guard the bridge builder. Naruto eventually shows up and instead of thinking, he comes into the mirror technique with me."

"That sounds like Naruto." Shikamaru said with a smile.

"Now we're both stuck in this technique and using up chakra just trying to hit this guy. We keep getting blasted by these needles and at one point Naruto passes out from the lack of chakra. The guy goes to throw a needle that would have killed him and I jumped in the way. So I ended up with a needle straight through the middle of my chest and died for a little while."

"You died?" Shikamaru asked.

"Ya well what we didn't know was that when you get hit by the needle you temporarily die from whatever is on it. Your body goes into a death state to the point where your heart even stops. You wake back up in a little while though. When I woke up the fight was over. The S-Class was dead and Kakashi killed the student. It was a bad few days."

"Ya see that has my entire missions beat. I've never died in any of mine." Shikamaru said.

"That was a bad mission. It was also the first mission we had outside of the village."

"I bet the Third kept you guys inside the village for a while after that." Neji said.

"He did for the longest time."

Sasuke was getting sore from sitting up. He was sick and tired of having to lie down so much, but it hurt to sit for a long period of time. Sasuke just wanted to wake up one day and be back to normal. Shikamaru and Neji could tell that Sasuke was getting to be stiff and sore from sitting.

"You alright Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked.

"Ya just sore."

"Why don't you lie down?" Neji suggested.

"Because all I do is lie down anymore. It's just.."

"Frustrating." Shikamaru finished for Sasuke.

"Ya"

"It will get better Sasuke. It's going to take some time, but you'll get there." Shikamaru said.

"I know." Sasuke whispered.

Neji changed the conversation once again and Shikamaru joined in on the conversation. They kept it to small talk and easy conversations. After another twenty minutes Sasuke's body couldn't handle sitting up anymore so he laid down on his right side. The warm sun felt really good against his skin and Sasuke knew that he would have to do this again. He never even thought about coming outside to the backyard before this. He had been cooped up in that room for so long it was nice to be outside. They were out there for an hour just talking and joking around. At one point Sasuke had fallen asleep listening to Neji and Shikamaru talking. Shikamaru and Neji shared a look that said it all. They slowly made their way back inside and left Sasuke out there in the warm sunlight. When they walked into the living room the conversation had stopped.

"He fell asleep. Do you want me to wake him up so he can come in?" Shikamaru asked.

"No he's fine out there I think. I can see him from here and I can go out there. I think some time outside in the sun will do him some good." Kakashi answered.

"I'm sure Tsunade would have an opinion about it." Asuma said.

"Are you okay Neji?" Gai asked.

"I just… I just didn't expect him to be that bad. I know he can't even train for six months, but I never really believed it. He's in really rough shape. He was having a hard time just walking from here to the couch out there. It's sad."

"I know it's hard to see him like this. He's getting better though it's slow, but he is getting better. It's good that he was able to be comfortable around you. He was very uncomfortable when he came out here and saw the four of you. I think now you can understand better why I have been so persistent about no one coming around. Sasuke really can't handle a group of people right now." Kakashi said.

"I do understand and I will make sure I do everything I can to keep the others away." Neji said.

"On the plus side, we now know that Sasuke is alright with Neji being around." Shikamaru said.

"That's a very good thing. Now he has the two of you he can talk to." Gai said.

"I think we should get going and let Kakashi take care of a few things." Asuma said.

"I'll let you know what Tsunade has to say about speaking with the Sand." Kakashi said.

"Sounds good. Take care Kakashi." Asuma said.

"You to."

"I'll come by in a day or two if I don't have a mission." Shikamaru said.

"Any time you wish you can come and see him. That goes for you as well Neji." Kakashi said.

"I will." Neji said.

The four of them left Kakashi's house. Kakashi got up off the couch and headed outside to be with Sasuke. He grabbed his book and went outside and sat down in the chair and started to do some reading.


	22. Chapter 22

It was three hours before Tsunade came outside to Kakashi's backyard. She went over to Kakashi who was still sitting down in the chair by the couch reading his book. As Tsunade approached Kakashi put his book away and turned his attention to her.

"I didn't expect you to be out here." Tsunade said.

"He woke up while everyone was here. Shikamaru and Neji thought being out here might be a nice change for him. We figured the sunlight would be good for him."

"The sun is very good for him. It provides a lot of natural vitamins that his body needs. Not to mention being outside and not in the bedroom will help with his mental and emotional health. You should have him outside as much as he would like to be. It's important to encourage him to be outside and do normal everyday things."

"He gets stiff very easily from constantly lying down. I know his body isn't able to do exercise, but is there something he can do to help with the stiffness?"

"He can do some basic stretches also walking around even just for ten minutes a day can help with the stiffness."

"Ok. I don't want him to feel trapped in his own body."

"That's understandable I'm sure at times he does feel trapped. It's important for him to start doing normal simple things that he used to do every day. That will help him feel like he still has control of his life."

"Did you find anything?"

"Why don't we take this inside and let him sleep."

Kakashi knew that Tsunade had found something and she didn't want to risk Sasuke waking up and hearing them. Kakashi followed Tsunade back inside his home and they sat down on the living room couch. Kakashi made sure that he could still see Sasuke who was still asleep outside on the couch.

"Do you have the results?"

Kakashi was afraid to ask especially, because he didn't know what he wanted the results to be. It would be good if he wasn't Sasuke's father, but at the same time he truly wanted to be Sasuke's father.

"I do have the results I also found some information about Sasuke's childhood before the Clan was destroyed. Itachi would have more answers as to what happened that isn't in any medical report, but it's not like he's on speaking terms with anyone. Are you sure you want this DNA result?"

"I'm not sure of anything right now, but I do know that I have to know the truth."

Tsunade handed him the piece of paper she had in her hands and gave it to Kakashi as she spoke.

"You are his father. What that will do to Sasuke I have no idea. He didn't have an easy childhood and he hasn't had an easy life. The choice is yours on if you wish to tell him. He could take it badly or he could be happy about it."

Kakashi was staring at the piece of paper that stated his DNA results. Kakashi couldn't believe that he was Sasuke's father. He honestly didn't know what he was going to do. He knew that he would need to speak to Itachi about it and see what else he can find out about Sasuke's childhood.

"What did you find out about his childhood?"

"He was born two and a half months early. His mother had been in and out of the hospital in the course of her pregnancy and they suspected that she had been trying to terminate the pregnancy. By the time she found out she was pregnant she was four months and an abortion was not an option. The doctors suspected that she had tried eight different times to have a miscarriage. He was born six and a half months into the pregnancy and he was a still born. From the medical files I have the attending doctor came back into the room to bring Sasuke down to the coroner's office and he walked in on Itachi holding Sasuke. When he went to grab Sasuke he realized that he had a pulse and was breathing."

"How is that possible?"

"Doctors call it a miracle. We can't explain why it happens, but sometimes a baby will come back to life. When a baby is born sick and small like Sasuke was we immediately get the mother to hold their baby and use that skin contact to help the baby. No one can explain why, but there's just something about a baby being held that can give them strength. When Itachi held Sasuke he gave Sasuke strength and brought him back to life. Sasuke was placed in the NICU and his parents refused to see him or name him. Itachi was the one that spent his days and nights in the NICU and he named Sasuke. Medically Sasuke's body was a mess. Only one his kidneys worked, his liver worked, but his lungs and heart were only half developed. They didn't expect him to live to his first birthday, they didn't expect him to be able to talk, walk or do anything. Obviously Sasuke overcame all of that and it's truly amazing that he is the way he is now. His one kidney stopped working when he was five and Itachi gave him one of his. His heart and lungs are still under developed and in the future when Sasuke gets older that can become a problem. Over the course of seven years Sasuke had been in and out of the hospital with injuries that were classified as training accidents. I highly doubt that I believe that Sasuke was being abused by Fugaku. Once the Clan was destroyed the hospital visits stopped. That's all I was able to find. Like I said Itachi would have a better idea of the events in between."

"Mikoto obviously knew that the baby was mine or suspected it. I can't think of any other reason why she would want to get rid of it. Fugaku must have suspected it for him to treat Sasuke that way."

"He either suspected it or he just didn't want Sasuke. He already had Itachi and to Fugaku maybe he didn't need another child, much less another son."

"What kind of medical problems could his heart and lungs give him?"

"Right now his heart and lungs are not causing him any problems. However, the older he gets and the bigger his body gets the more work his heart and lungs will have to do. Eventually a transplant might need to be done. Being an active ninja could become difficult physically for him so that's something will need to be monitored. For now they are working just fine with his body."

"There's a bunch of information that I'm sure Itachi knows that isn't in any medical file."

"I'm sure he does, but unless the two of you are on speaking terms I don't think he'll share. You're not on speaking terms with an S-Class criminal are you Kakashi?"

"Of course not why would I be?"

Kakashi could tell by the look on Tsunade's face that she didn't believe him. He had a feeling he would get caught eventually and he was hoping that she would let him explain his decision.

"If I was you Kakashi I would start explaining. Orochimaru's body was discovered on the front steps of the Sand village. Its' one hell of a coincidence that Orochimaru has been killed in the same week that Sasuke has been out of the hospital. I don't care that he is dead or who killed him my question is why would you risk contacting Itachi?"

Kakashi let out a deep breath as he began to explain his logic to Tsunade.

"Orochimaru needed to be killed and I know I wasn't strong enough to do it. I knew Itachi was and I didn't know if he would even reply back to my message. The first night Sasuke was in the hospital I sent a message to him telling him that Orochimaru had hurt Sasuke horribly and he was in the hospital. He didn't come for three weeks; I honestly thought he didn't care. Then he showed up in the hospital the night before you removed him from the coma. He was furious at what happened to Sasuke and he wanted to know what happened. I told him and he said he would take care of Orochimaru and leave the rest of the Sound to Konoha."

"Why would you risk Itachi being around Sasuke? You couldn't have known what he would have done."

"I didn't know what he was going to do and I understand that I took a great risk. Itachi could have just killed us both, but I didn't believe he would. When they were younger Itachi was always with Sasuke whenever he could be. You never saw Sasuke outside without Itachi there. Itachi was overly protective of him and I was hoping that he still would be after all these years. He left Sasuke alive for a reason and I thought maybe it wasn't for the reason he had everyone believe."

"Have you seen him since?"

"He was here the other night. He came by to inform me that Orochimaru was dead. Up until that point Sasuke had no idea that Itachi had seen him in the hospital. I had kept it a secret from him, but Sasuke was speaking with Shikamaru and talking about the massacre. Shikamaru and I both felt like he deserved answers and only Itachi could give him that. Itachi agreed to talk to Sasuke and he told both of us what happened that night."

"What did happen that night?"

"A brief overview is that Itachi was ordered by the third and the Council to kill the Clan. They were planning on attacking Konoha and Itachi made the decision to follow his orders. He was supposed to kill Sasuke, but he couldn't do it. He loved Sasuke too much to hurt him. Before he left Konoha he made sure that the Third and the Council knew that he would be back to kill them if they ever hurt Sasuke. They agreed to keep Sasuke in the dark and Itachi agreed to go to the Akatsuki as a spy and to eliminate them when the time comes."

"So he's on a mission right now?"

"He is and I'm sure if you dig deep enough in the Council's files you'll see it for yourself."

"And Sasuke knows this?"

"He does and he took it very well. I think all of these years all he's ever wanted was answers and now he has them. I'm not sure what you'd want to do with Itachi now knowing this information."

"Does he want to come back to Konoha?"

"I believe he does. He's on this mission right now and I don't see him leaving it, but when it's over he wants to be with Sasuke. Sasuke would love for him to be back here in Konoha. They've always had a deep connection and I feel that Itachi being here would do wonders for Sasuke."

"Do you think he'll come back for Sasuke even with his mission not complete?"

"He might. Why do you ask?"

"I would like to speak to him about all of this. If he was ordered then that will drastically change things. In the midst of all of this with the Sound I would prefer Itachi in Konoha and by Sasuke to help him through this. However, the Akatsuki are very dangerous and having Itachi in with them would be very beneficial. I'm assuming you'll be sending another message to him to speak to him about this DNA result?"

"I had planned on it. I want his opinion on it before I tell Sasuke."

"When he comes tell him to come speak to me. I want to know where he stands on all of this. I'll also do some research on the Clan's massacre and see if there were order papers."

"What are we going to do about the Sound ninjas that were spotted?"

"I've sent a squad out to investigate it. They are also going to investigate the Sound area to see if there are any movements. For now I think Konoha is best to stay calm and wait for them to make the move. I'll have the guards along the wall doubled and on alert. I don't want to send squads out to the Sound and start a war when we know nothing of the area. Konoha is best to just fight here where we have won many battles."

"That is what Asuma, Gai and I told Shikamaru and Neji this afternoon."

"How are they handling all of this?"

"I think they are doing very well considering everything that happened. The others are not doing so well especially Naruto."

"I heard what happened. Naruto went and told Iruka what you had said and Iruka came to speak to me. He agrees with what you said about Naruto talking about what happened to people. However, he thought you were a little hard on him and everyone else. He was concerned with how close you are to the situation that if maybe you were too close and that Sasuke should be with someone else."

"And who would Sasuke be with exactly? He's not some dog that can be passed around. He needs to be with someone he trusts and right now that's me and me alone. Iruka has no right to say that I was hard on Naruto. He came here and was yelling outside, where Sasuke could have heard him. He told the rest of the Rookies that Sasuke was raped when he was ordered not to. Worst of all he doesn't understand how he was in the wrong and what a serious threat Sasuke is still in. I stand by my words and decision."

"I'm not saying you were in the wrong. Naruto went against orders and as a result he has put Sasuke at risk. Not physically, but mentally and emotionally Sasuke could be hurt. I'm not happy about Naruto's actions any more than you are. I'm very disappointed by his actions recently and I will be speaking with him and Iruka about them. Iruka wants to take responsibility for Naruto than he will need to understand the full consequences of it all. I stand by the decision that you made for not only Naruto, but the rest of them. I will be speaking with each and every one of their parents so they know the true seriousness of this situation."

"I think that would be best, because I don't think they understand this. Chock it up to their age or inexperience, but they could get Sasuke killed without even realising it."

"That's exactly it. I'm hoping their parents will be able to help them understand better. When you hear from Itachi have him meet with me. I'm sure it will be at night, but I don't care I need to speak with him about all of this. Let me know what you decide about Sasuke and this DNA so I am aware if he knows or not."

"I will and Itachi will only come by at night."

"I figured as much. I'll speak to him and see where he stands. I will go and speak to Naruto and Iruka now. Don't leave Sasuke out in the heat without water for very long. The sun will be good for him, but it will make him dehydrated faster. So if he is going to be out there for hours at a time make sure he drinks lots of water."

"I will. He's been out there for about five hours now. I was going to wake him up and get him to eat something."

"Good he needs his strength. I'll come by and check on him in a few days to see how his body is healing. If something comes up keep me posted."

"I will."

Tsunade got up and Kakashi did after her. He walked Tsunade to the door and once she was gone he went into the kitchen to make some soup for Sasuke.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

Tsunade went and knocked on Iruka's door and a few minutes later he answered.

"Tsunade-Sama, what do I owe this pleasure?"

"I need to speak to you and Naruto. I'm assuming he is here."

"He is, come in please."

Iruka moved out of the way so Tsunade could come inside. Naruto was sitting in the living room and they went over to join him.

"Hokage-Sama what are you doing here?"

"It's my village I will go where I please. You need to learn some manners among other things brat."

Tsunade sat down in the chair and Iruka joined Naruto on the couch.

"Tsunade-Sama what can I do for you?"

"I have spoken with Kakashi and I must say he is rather unhappy about your accusations of him being too close to Sasuke. I have to say I agree with him. Kakashi is the only person Sasuke trusts and I will not take that away from him. Enough has been taken from Sasuke already. I will not add to that list."

"Surely you must see that Kakashi was out of line with how he spoke to not only Naruto, but the others."

"Kakashi was not out of line. Naruto went against direct orders, my orders to keep his mouth shut. He told the rest of the group and by now who knows who over heard his little outburst. In my opinion Kakashi went too easy on him. If it was me I would have him locked up until he learned what he did was wrong."

"You can't be serious? Sasuke is the one that has taken this too far." Naruto said.

"Sasuke is the victim in all of this. It's words like that, that make me reconsider not locking you up. You don't even understand what you've done wrong and that concerns me. For someone who so desperately wants to be Hokage you sure are proving why you will never be Hokage."

"I think you are being a little hard on him. This isn't exactly an easy concept to understand and accept." Iruka said in Naruto's defense.

"Do you understand why what he did was so wrong?"

"I do my lady, but he's only thirteen. This is a rather dark and hard concept to understand at that age. I truly believe he just doesn't understand how to feel or act about this."

"You have taken responsibility for Naruto for a while now."

"I have."

"Then I suggest you help him understand, because I stand by what Kakashi has done and said. I would have been much harder on him. This behavior will not be tolerated."

"Everyone keeps saying I don't understand. What don't I understand? Sasuke is the one being ridiculous. He can't just hide from everyone and act like it never happened. We saved him and he can't even show some gratitude and let us see him. I told the rest of the group out of anger and they needed to know. They thought they did something wrong to upset Sasuke. That's not right or fair to them." Naruto said.

"There is more than one way to kill someone Naruto and I'm not talking about physically." Tsunade said.

"What do you mean?"

"Naruto I agree with Tsunade that you shouldn't have told anyone about what happened. You were given strict orders not to talk about it. Why do you think that is?" Iruka asked.

"I don't know."

"What happened to Sasuke was horrific. You watched it happen, but you weren't the one going through it. It's easier for you and the rest of you that watched it happen to move past it faster. Sasuke was the one who went through being tortured and raped. It's not easy to overcome that. It's not something that can happen over-night or over the course of a week. By keeping it a secret to just a few who already knew that would have made it easier for Sasuke. It's hard enough on him knowing that you witnessed it. That alone makes it harder for him to be around you and the others that were there. By telling the rest of the rookies you have now made it twice as hard for him to be around people. Being raped is a very traumatic and very hard to get past. By everyone now knowing Sasuke won't want to be around anyone or outside at risk of someone saying something. Being raped is one of the hardest things for someone to heal from and overcome. By your own actions you have made it twice as hard now and twice as long. When Tsunade-Sama said that you can kill someone and not just physically she meant that words can kill just as much as a punch. This could be well known by the people of the village and other ninja. They won't physically use it against him, but they can hurt Sasuke mentally and emotionally by saying things to him. That mental and emotional pain can kill Sasuke just as easily as a blade. Do you understand what I'm saying?" Iruka said.

"So you're saying that by what I did I hurt Sasuke more?"

"That's exactly it. Sasuke's body is already damaged. He's fighting every day to stay alive. He's fighting through the pain and feeling trapped inside his own body. The physical pain is not the only battle that Sasuke is fighting. The mental and emotional wounds are twice as deep as those that are physical. By what you have done you have pushed the mental and emotional healing back. No one gets to tell Sasuke how he should be feeling or acting in this situation. He doesn't want anyone around him, because he can't handle it right now. Shikamaru and Neji can, because they don't judge or bring up what happened. They talk about nothing, they talk about past missions and sometimes they don't talk. They understand that Sasuke needs to heal in his own time and in his own way. As long as that way is not destructive I will not interfere with his healing. As his friend and teammate you need to accept that Sasuke needs time. If you need to be mad at someone then be mad at the Sound. They still hunt Sasuke and wish for him to be killed. Use your anger to protect him and keep him safe. Sasuke cannot do that himself right now. Stop acting like a child and start acting like a ninja." Tsunade said.

"So you're saying the best thing I can do for Sasuke is to just leave him alone?"

"That exactly what I am saying." Tsunade said.

"I guess I can do that. I don't see how that would be for the best, but I can try that."

"There is no trying Naruto. You need to do just that." Tsunade said.

"Ok. How long though are you going to let Sasuke hide from everyone?"

"As long as he needs. Once his body has healed more than he will want to move around and be outside. Slowly he will start being around people again. There will be times when Sasuke takes two steps forward and one step back. The process will be frustrating for him and everyone who cares about him. However, at the end of the day it is Sasuke that has to heal. Even if that means it takes a long time. You care about Sasuke so be patient and let him heal the way he feels like he needs to." Tsunade said.

"I just feel like I should be doing something to help him."

"Then do as Tsunade-Sama has said and use that anger to fight the Sound." Iruka said.

"Alright."

"You can also make sure the others understand to keep their mouths shut and not to harass Sasuke." Tsunade added.

"I'll talk to them and make sure."

"Good I don't want to have to have this discussion again do I make myself clear?"

"Yes Hokage-Sama."

"Good now I have work I need to do."

Tsunade got up and Iruka walked her to the door. Once she was gone Iruka turned to Naruto and he could tell that Naruto felt bad for what had happened with Sasuke. Even though Tsunade and Kakashi were harsh on him Iruka could understand why they had to be. Naruto needed to understand what was going on and how traumatized Sasuke was. Iruka was hoping that now Naruto understood and they would be able to focus on the Sound and keeping Sasuke safe.


	23. Chapter 23

It had been a week since Kakashi had found out that he was in fact Sasuke's biological father. He had sent a message that day to Itachi letting him know that he needed to speak with him. Kakashi didn't know how long it would take for Itachi to come by the last time he sent a message to him it took him three weeks. Kakashi knew that Itachi would be worried about Sasuke and he was hoping that would make him come faster. He was putting Itachi in a dangerous position. Itachi was working as a spy and if they ever got wind of him not being loyal they could try and kill him. Kakashi had seen Itachi fight on many occasions, but he didn't know how well he would hold up against nine S-Class criminals all at one time. Kakashi hadn't spoken a single word about what he discovered a week ago to Sasuke. Kakashi wanted to speak with Itachi about it first before he even made up his mind about what to do. Thankfully the week had been peaceful with the others finally leaving Sasuke alone. The problem Kakashi was having with Sasuke was he was slowly getting more depressed as the days went on. Kakashi was trying to do everything he could do to get Sasuke in a better mood, but it wasn't working. The day after Tsunade left Kakashi was able to get Sasuke outside in the backyard again, but the last four days Sasuke has been in the bedroom and only came out to go to the bathroom.

Kakashi was worried about what all of this was doing to Sasuke's mental health and it was starting to worsen each day. Kakashi knew that Sasuke would be having problems after what happened, it was understandable. Now he found himself in a difficult position, because he didn't know what to do. As each day went on Kakashi found himself staying up later and later just hoping Itachi would show. Kakashi knew what Sasuke needed and that was Itachi. He needed his big brother to tell him it would all be okay. He needed his big brother at night when he's afraid to close his eyes from the nightmares. Even though Kakashi was his biological father Sasuke's father was very much Itachi and he needed him now more than ever. Kakashi didn't know if Itachi would give up his mission to stay in Konoha, but he was hoping that he would do it for Sasuke.

It was well after midnight when Kakashi felt Itachi's presence in the living room. He had just gotten to bed not even a half an hour ago, but Kakashi didn't care. He had been waiting all week for Itachi to come and now he was finally going to get to have that conversation with him. Kakashi went out into the living room to see Itachi standing there in the kitchen washing blood off his hands. Kakashi went over to Itachi and he could see blood on his arms and on his face. Kakashi could tell it wasn't Itachi's by the way the blood looked, but that meant that Itachi had killed someone and Kakashi was praying it wasn't someone from Konoha.

"What happened?"

"I told the leader I had something I needed to take care of. I ran into Deidara when I was just on the outskirts of Konoha. He asked what I was doing, saying that I had been acting differently in the last few weeks. I told him I was doing some recon on the nine tails, but he didn't believe me. I couldn't risk him going back and talking to the leader about what I've been doing."

Itachi never took his eyes off his hands. The blood had started to dry and it was harder to get off, but it wasn't the first time he had to do this. Kakashi went over to the light switch in the kitchen and flipped it. Itachi had blood all over his cloak and in his hair.

"I understand you killed him, but how did you get so much blood on you?"

"Technically I didn't kill him. He knew he was going to lose and he thought he could take me with him. He blow himself up, blood went everywhere."

"We need to talk and I know you want to see Sasuke, but you can't see him covered in someone else's blood. Why don't you take the cloak off and take a quick shower that's the only way you're going to get the blood off you."

Kakashi watched Itachi scrub at his hands. Kakashi knew that Itachi had killed people before, but this time it seemed to have affected him more. Kakashi placed a cautious hand on Itachi's right arm to get his attention.

"Itachi?"

"He just blew himself up right there. I've killed people, I've tortured people. This shouldn't bother me."

"He killed himself in front of you Itachi. He did it in a very horrific way. Of course this is going to bother you. Go take a shower you'll feel better once the blood is gone. We can talk afterwards."

Itachi didn't say anything he just gave a nod. He turned the water off and headed into the bathroom to take a quick shower. He knew Kakashi had needed to talk to him, but he could tell that it wasn't an extreme emergency if he didn't start talking right away. Itachi took off his cloak and got into the shower once his clothes were off. He couldn't remember the last time he had taken a hot shower and he found himself just standing under the water for a few minutes just feeling the heat. Before all of this with Sasuke had happened Itachi had been focused and was able to separate who he was from who he had to be. Now though Itachi was having a hard time focusing and remembering that he was supposed to be a cold hearted killer. He couldn't be that person when his mind was worried sick about Sasuke. Itachi knew he had to finish this mission, but he truly didn't know how much longer he could do this mission. Once the water was no longer tinted red and Itachi couldn't see or feel any blood he turned the shower off and got out. After getting dry he put his clothes back on, which were his black ninja gear, and then he went out into the living room with his cloak in hand.

Kakashi was sitting down on the couch waiting for Itachi to return.

"Feel better?"

Itachi sat down on the other side of the couch.

"It's been six years without hot water; I forgot how good it feels."

"I'd imagine there are a lot of normal everyday things that you forget how good they can be. Six years is a long time to be away and living underground with criminals. How is the mission going?"

"It's been six years of information gathering. I know they are planning on capturing all of the tail demons. The leader wants to seal the demons inside this statue. What happens once all of the tail demons are sealed inside I don't know yet. I know it's nothing good for this world. The problem I'm having is focusing. I can't stop thinking about Sasuke during the day. The ninja in me understands that I need to focus and finish this mission. This could very well be the early start of another ninja war. The brother in me wants nothing more than to stay and keep him safe. To be there with him when he can't sleep or is in pain. Growing up I've always been able to keep the two sides separate and happy, but now it just feels like an internal war and I honestly don't know which side is going to win."

"I think you do know which side is going to win, but that scares you because you haven't been that person in six years. I can't tell you what to do. I can't image what position you're in right now. You've been taught since you were little to be a ninja first, but you've always put Sasuke first for that I am sure of. After six years of having to be a ninja above anything else, having to go back to being a big brother, especially now would be scary. With everything that has happened to Sasuke I can't tell you what to do. I can tell you what he's like since you've seen him last."

"Did something happen?"

"Not physically. Naruto was upset and he ended up telling the rest of the rookie group that Sasuke was raped. He did it outside and apparently loudly so the whole village might know at this point. Shikamaru, Neji, Asuma and Gai were over here while he was sleeping. He woke up and Shikamaru and Neji took him out in the backyard. Sasuke was able to tell something was wrong and they made the decision to tell him. Sasuke just started to trust them and they didn't want to destroy that trust by lying to him."

"That was a smart choice by them. A horrible choice Naruto made. How is he handling it?"

"He's not handling anything. I understand that he's been through something horrible, but it's been over a month since he has been awake and able to process what happened. For the last week he hasn't seen anyone, he won't even go outside in the backyard. He stays in the bedroom except to use the bathroom. He barely eats anything; he won't say more than five words a day to me. What he desperately needs is to break down and then start to heal, but he won't. Physically he's healing, it's a long process but he's healing. Mentally and emotionally he's getting worse. He needs you, he needs his big brother."

"The Hokage won't let me back into this village."

"I wouldn't be too sure of that. I was speaking to her a week ago and she figured out I spoke to you and that you killed Orochimaru. I explained to her what happened six years ago, that you were currently on a mission. She wants to speak to you. She was curious if you were interested in staying in Konoha. I can't speak for her, but from what I understood she would prefer you in Konoha for this war. The choice is yours for what you wish to do. I think you should speak to her and get all the information before you make that decision."

"I'll speak with her, but this isn't what you wanted to speak to me about."

Kakashi let out a breath; he didn't even know where to start.

"Some information was brought to my attention and I wanted your insight. Tsunade found some information about Sasuke's childhood. She said he was born premature by almost three months. She was surprised to find out he had some medical problems with his heart and lungs. He should never have been allowed in the academy if they had known about it."

"They never asked; a perk of being an Uchiha I guess. He was a stillborn. It was the middle of the night and I wasn't supposed to be there, but I didn't care. They never wanted him; they tried to get rid of him at least ten times. It never worked though, he wouldn't give up. When he was born two and a half months early I knew that this time would be different. Mother had been taking pills for two days straight, I don't know what kind they were, but I knew she wasn't allowed to take them while pregnant. When she went into the hospital that night I knew something was horribly wrong. She was in the kitchen and there was blood everywhere. I wasn't going to take no from them, I was going to the hospital. I was going to be there for him no matter what happened. When he was born dead my heart broke. The doctor asked if they wanted to hold him, but they didn't. They took my mom up to a room and my father went with her. The doctor placed Sasuke on this metal table, he didn't even cover him up. The doctor left and told me someone would come back to bring Sasuke to the morgue. He was heartless. Once he left I went over to Sasuke and I couldn't resist holding him. I grabbed a blanket they had and I wrapped him up in it and held him to my chest. I sat down in the chair and just held him. I knew he was gone, but I couldn't let him die without knowing what it felt like to be held. What it felt like to be loved. An hour later a nurse came into the room, she was surprised to see us there. She told me she was sorry for my loss, but she needed to take him. When she took him from my arms he cried. Neither of us could believe it nor could we explain it."

"Tsunade-Sama said that doctors call it a miracle. They can't explain why babies come back to life from being held. They just do."

"The next few hours were insanity. He had multiple doctors looking him over and he was in an incubator. My parents almost died when they found out that their child that they didn't want refused to die. They refused to see him or even listen to the doctors about his condition. Another perk of being an Uchiha you can make sure no one says anything. After two days of the doctors trying to get my parents to listen they gave up. I told them to talk to me about Sasuke that I would be taking care of him. They explained to me about his lungs and heart being underdeveloped. He had one kidney, but his other organs were working. They said that he would never be able to walk, talk or do anything himself that he would be spending the rest of his life with medical problems. I told them I didn't care, that he was my brother and I'm taking care of him. I waited a week in the NICU for them to come and see him, but they never did. Mother was released three days after he was born and they never stepped foot into the hospital. They knew I wouldn't leave so they didn't even try. After a week I decided to name him Sasuke, a mean warrior, it seemed fitting for him. He was a fighter before he was born and I knew he was going to fight his whole life."

"It's a very suiting name for him. He never gives up. How long was he in the hospital for?"

Kakashi wanted to hear this, but at the same time he felt horrible for not doing something about his doubt growing up. Sasuke could have had a different life than the one that Itachi tried to provide for him.

"He was finally allowed out of the hospital after three months. It was a long three months sitting at the hospital watching him get better after getting worse. When they told me he could be released I had left for a few hours the day before to get the room ready for him. He was going to be in my room so I set up the crib that I bought for him and his clothes and everything else he needed. I took him home and never for one second have I ever regretted it. It was hard I'm not going to lie. Being up some nights all night while he was teething or sick. The weekly hospital trips that lasted until he was three. While on missions I had my grandmother take care of him. The older he got the easier it got by then we were in a set routine. I cried when he took his first steps. He was nine months old, he hadn't even crawled and I thought for sure that the doctors were right. I couldn't believe it when it happened I thought I was dreaming. He just literally got up one day and took a few steps before he fell."

Itachi couldn't help the smile that came on his face. "He got so mad. His face was priceless. He landed on his butt and he was so mad that he had fell. He reached his arms out and I gave him my hands. He stood up and walked over to me and hugged my leg. He looked up at me and smiled. He was so proud that he had walked it was like he knew that the doctors said he couldn't do it. The doctors couldn't believe it when I brought him in for his monthly visit. They told me that it was a good sign that he could walk, but that didn't mean he would be normal like everyone else. They didn't know how long he wasn't breathing when he was born, so they couldn't give a definitive answer about any brain damage. They had run tests to see if there was any damage, but they couldn't say for sure."

"Do you know if there was any found as he got older?"

"Surprisingly enough there wasn't. He received a CT-Scan once a year, as well as other tests to make sure everything was working properly. When he was five his kidney started to fail so I gave him one of mine. Other than that nothing has happened. The doctors did say that the older he gets the more work his heart and lungs will need to do. There's a good chance that in the next few years he'll need to have a heart and lung transplant."

"Tsunade wasn't aware of his health in that sense. She said that now that she is aware of it she'll be keeping a close eye on him. He stopped getting tests done after you left, so she'll want to go back to having the tests run once a year. She's concerned about his heart and lungs as well as he gets older. How were your parents with him as he got older?"

"Mother ignored him. Father would abuse him while I was away on missions. There were a few other members of the Clan that were not nice to him at all. There had been a few occasions when I had returned from a mission to find Sasuke beaten and in need of a hospital. I hated leaving him there, but we needed the money so I didn't have a choice. I didn't want to kill them, but at the same time it was easy. I didn't love them and I realised just how much I didn't care about any of them when I killed them. I didn't hesitate or even think twice. Sasuke is the only person I have ever loved. I don't know what it is about him, but I loved him before he was even born."

"Sasuke mentioned that you were more of a father to him than a brother."

"I was. When he had a bad dream he came to me. When he was hurt he came to me. When he was happy he came to me. That's just how it was."

"A week ago I had Tsunade-Sama check something out for me. Something I should have done a long time ago, but I didn't. I was told something and I took it at face value. I was young and foolish. A mistake I'll always regret."

"So you are his father." Itachi stated.

Kakashi couldn't help the surprise that came onto his face. He never in a million years ever expected Itachi to know about this. Hell even Kakashi didn't know about this until a week ago.

"How do you…"

"Know? When mother was pregnant her and father were arguing. They knew Sasuke wasn't his, that he was yours. That's why they wanted to get rid of him so badly. They couldn't let anyone know the truth; they didn't know that I knew. I never told Sasuke. You weren't around for your own reasons. I didn't see the need to disappoint him or get his hopes up."

"I didn't know. It was one night I had just lost my last team member. We got drunk and it just happened. I didn't see her for close to six months after that. It must have been before she gave birth. I asked her if the baby was mine and she said no. I took her word for it and I never should have. It's a mistake that I'll always regret. Sasuke was talking a little bit about growing up last week. I never knew that it wasn't a positive experience with Fugaku. If I had I would have stepped in and done something. He doesn't know the truth. Tsunade-Sama ran a DNA test after I asked her to. I wanted to tell you the truth and I wanted to get your opinion on if I should tell Sasuke or not."

"What's stopping you?"

"How he'll react. He could handle this just fine, but I don't see that happening. With everything with the Sound going on right now I'm worried that if I tell him he won't want me around. He's already closed himself off from me, by telling him that I'm his father it could make it worse."

"You're asking yourself the wrong question. It's not about how he'll react. It's not about best or worse-case scenario. It's about whether or not he deserves to know the truth. He's not going to be happy by it, but I don't see him shutting you out of his life either. He trusts you on some level or he wouldn't be here. He deserves to know the truth; he deserves the right to make that decision himself."

"So you think I should tell him."

"I can't make that decision for you. I can tell you that in thirteen years I have lied to him once. If he mentions anything close to this conversation I won't lie to him."

"I would never ask you to. I know I need to tell him; I just wanted to hear what you thought about it before I did it."

"He handles things better than people think. He'll be upset and confused. He probably won't say much to you in the next week or two, but he will get his mind around it. Sooner than you think he'll accept it and move on from it. How this will change your relationship is something only you two and figure out."

"I'll leave that ball in his court. I don't expect him to start giving me hugs and calling me dad."

"You have a shot at hugs someday, but he'll never call you dad. When does Tsunade-Sama want to see me?"

"She said whenever you came to go and see her. I think you should see Sasuke first though."

"I want to see him before I make any decisions."

"I'm not sure if he's asleep so be careful he scares easily now."

Itachi gave a distant nod as he took a few seconds to get his mind together, before he got up and headed down the hall to the bedroom. Itachi quietly opened the bedroom door and went inside. It was dark due to it being night time, but the blind was open so the moonlight lit up the room just enough for Itachi to be able to see. Sasuke was lying on the bed with his front facing the window, making his back to Itachi. Itachi could tell though that he wasn't really sleeping as he closed the door and went around the bed. Sasuke didn't seem to even notice Itachi until he spoke.

"You should be sleeping little brother."

That got Sasuke's attention. He looked up at Itachi and gave him a small smile.

"Hey what are you doing here?"

Sasuke's voice was still raw and soft from his injured mouth and throat. Itachi sat down on the bed as he spoke.

"Kakashi wanted to let me know that Tsunade-Sama is looking to speak with me. She figured out that I killed Orochimaru and was questioning Kakashi about it. He told her the truth behind the Clan's death. She wants to speak with me about staying in Konoha."

"Really?"

"How would you feel about that?"

"I'm confused you're mission is important. Why would she have you walk away from that?"

"Because some things in this world are more important."

"Like what?"

"You"

"You can't just throw away a six years long mission for me."

"I've gathered a lot of valuable information in the past six years. That will never be wasted. I didn't want to go on the mission in the first place, but I had no choice. If given the choice to walk away I just might do that."

"But why?"

"To be here with you. You can't tell me you don't miss me or wish I was here."

"Of course I miss you and wish you were here, but I'm not worth you throwing all of your hard work away."

"It's not being thrown away and you are worth a lot more than you feel right now. With everything going on with the Sound and Konoha I want to be here to protect you. I want to help you get healthy again. I can't sleep without seeing you in that hospital bed with the ventilator in your mouth. I don't want you to go through that again. I don't want you to be going through this without me. Kakashi told me you have barely been eating and sleeping. He told me that you don't leave this room anymore. Talk to me what's going through your mind?"

"I was out in the backyard for a few hours last week."

"That's good. It's important for you to be outside Sasuke. Why haven't you been out since?"

"Because all it did was remind me that I can't go anywhere."

"I know you're frustrated by the physical pain. Six months is a long time to not be able to even train."

"I'm not frustrated."

"You're not?"

"Well yes I'm frustrated, but I know the physical pain will go away one day."

"Then why don't you like being outside?"

"Because I literally can't go anywhere. Just the thought of being outside where someone could see me, someone could take me again. When I'm outside it feels like I can't breathe and all I can think about is how I never sensed him coming. I was home and I never sensed him. How many others are out there watching me that I don't sense? I can't go outside I can't."

"Second guessing your abilities is dangerous Sasuke you know that. It's natural for you to be feeling some anxiety about being outside. Even in Kakashi's backyard it's out in the open and you feel vulnerable. The way you feel is natural for someone who has been through what you have been through recently. You can't doubt your abilities if you start doing that you'll never get yourself back. I wish I could give you back what Orochimaru took from you, but I can't. I can however, make sure you don't lose yourself because then Orochimaru has won."

"He already has won." Sasuke whispered.

"He only wins if you give up. If you let what happened control and ruin your life then he will win. This isn't easy for you and I'm not going to push you just yet. You need to accept what has happened so you can start to heal and move on from this."

"I can't move on from this. I can't close my eyes without seeing it. I'm so tired, but I can't bring myself to see it again. It hurt so bad the pain wouldn't stop. I begged for him to stop." Sasuke had tears coming down his face as he spoke of it. "I can still feel his hands. I can still taste the blood in my mouth. I hurt so bad."

Sasuke broke down and Itachi could feel his heart breaking. It wasn't often growing up that Sasuke had actually cried. Seeing him now like this, Itachi knew the pain he was feeling was on a whole different level. Itachi moved so he was beside Sasuke on the bed and pulled him into his arms. He gently moved Sasuke so he was in between Itachi's legs so he could hold Sasuke close to his chest. It was how Itachi had always comforted Sasuke when he was little and he was hoping it would work now. Itachi didn't say anything, because he knew there truly wasn't anything he could say to make this better. So Itachi did the only thing he could do and that was to hold Sasuke close to his chest and rub a gentle soothing hand over his back. Kakashi had said that Sasuke hadn't broken down over what happened yet and now it appears that he finally was. In that moment Itachi knew what decision he needed to make. He had to be here for his brother before he lost him completely.

It was a good hour before the tears had stopped and Sasuke's breathing had returned to normal. Now Itachi just needed him to get some sleep.

"You need to sleep little brother."

"I can't do it. I'll see it again. Please don't make me see it again Nisan." Sasuke's voice was raspy and the exhaustion could be heard loud and clear throughout it.

"Shh it's okay you are not alone I'm right here with you. You can't just not sleep for the rest of your life. I know it's hard, but your body is exhausted you need sleep. I'm right here I'm not going anywhere I promise you. If you have a nightmare I will be right here to help you through it. Just like when you were little and had a nightmare I was there to make it better. Come one let's lie down and get comfortable. You'll be stiff and sore if you lay like this too long."

Itachi didn't give Sasuke the chance to argue. He knew that he was doing what was best for Sasuke and he wasn't going to back down. Sasuke needed sleep and the only way to get over the nightmares was to live through them. Itachi knew Sasuke would have nightmares, but he would be there for when he woke up and he would make it better. He moved Sasuke so he was beside him and he laid down and held Sasuke against his side. Sasuke put his head on Itachi's shoulder and curled into his body heat. Sasuke couldn't believe how good it felt to be with Itachi again and he found himself feeling the true level of exhaustion hitting him.

"I'm scared." Sasuke whispered.

Itachi held Sasuke closer to him as he spoke.

"I know, but I'm right here with you. Close your eyes and let the sleep come. I'm right here with you I'm not going anywhere."

"Your mission"

"My mission is over as far as I'm concerned." Itachi said before Sasuke could finish his sentence. "Close your eyes little brother. You're safe. I'm here and no one is going to hurt you now. You're safe."

"I love you." Sasuke's voice was faint as he fell asleep.

"I love you to."

Itachi held Sasuke close to his body as he felt Sasuke's breathing calm down and Itachi knew he was asleep. He didn't know how long he would be asleep before a nightmare came, but it didn't matter to Itachi he wasn't going anywhere. Itachi closed his eyes and let himself give into the exhaustion that was filling his own body.


	24. Chapter 24

It was just after six in the morning when Kakashi was woken up again. He had fallen asleep on the couch while he was waiting for Itachi to come out of Sasuke's room. Kakashi heard someone knocking at his front door. Kakashi stood up and went to Sasuke's room first. He looked in and saw Itachi and Sasuke asleep on his bed curled up together. Kakashi couldn't help, but smile at the sight. It was good for Sasuke to be sleeping and with Itachi here it seemed to come easier for him. Kakashi heard the knocking continue so he left the doorway and headed back to his front door. Kakashi opened the front door and saw Tsunade on the other side. Kakashi immediately started to think about what was about to happen. Itachi was in the bedroom with Sasuke and Kakashi didn't know what was going to happen. Kakashi didn't know if Itachi was going to stay or not. Right now Kakashi knew that Itachi couldn't leave until nightfall. Kakashi didn't know if Tsunade knew Itachi was here or not, but he had a feeling he was about to find out.

"Tsunade-Sama, what can I do for you so early this morning?"

"I know it's early, but I would like to speak to you."

"Of course, come in."

Kakashi moved back so Tsunade could come inside his home. They went into the living room and Tsunade couldn't help, but look around. The place was messier than it usually was, and there was a cloak with blood sitting on the floor beside the couch. Tsunade recognized the cloak right away. She knew that Itachi was either here or at least was here last night. The state of Kakashi and of his house was a little troubling for Tsunade and she was regretting not coming by sooner.

"Is everything alright Kakashi?"

"As alright as it could be."

"I meant with yourself. Your house is a mess and you do not look much better. Is there something you wish to talk about?"

Kakashi let out a sigh and started to pace slightly. He knew that his home was messy and it never was. Despite what people may think Kakashi was a very clean and organized person. His home and his body were always neat and clean. In the past month since Sasuke has been awake Kakashi has slowly been slipping and now it was getting noticed. Kakashi looked around his house that he could see. The living room held blankets in one corner of the couch, dishes were on the table, the kitchen had pots and dishes all over it that were in need of a wash. Kakashi himself was in the need of a shower and a change of clothes. Kakashi had been so worried about Sasuke in the past week especially that he hadn't taken care of himself or his home. Kakashi knew he needed to get himself back together. He couldn't tell Sasuke that he had to get his life back if he couldn't do it himself.

"I've been a little stressed and worried about Sasuke this past week. He seemed to have gotten worse mentally and emotionally. I can't get him to leave the room except to go the washroom. He barely eats, he doesn't sleep and he takes three showers a day. He won't talk to me about what happened, but it's clearly affecting him. He's depressed and each day that goes by its getting worse. I don't know what to do."

"I'm sure Itachi had some ideas. Is he still here?"

"How did you know?"

"His cloak is on the floor. Either he is still here or he forgot it when he left."

"He came last night, he's still here and I told him that I was Sasuke's father."

"How did he take it?"

"He already knew. Apparently he overheard his parents arguing while she was pregnant. He raised Sasuke; he named Sasuke and took care of him every single day for seven years. He never saw the point in telling Sasuke the truth, because I wasn't around. I told him my side of the story and he wasn't upset. He thinks I should tell Sasuke. He feels that Sasuke deserves the truth and I agree with him. I'm just worried about how Sasuke will react with all of this going on. No one has even come by to see him this week."

"Neji and Shikamaru are out on a mission. Shikamaru is due back later today I'll have him come by."

"Maybe that will help."

"I need to speak with Itachi. We need to sort this out."

"I'll go wake him up. I fell asleep on the couch last night I don't really know how well last night went. Sasuke is asleep so that's a good thing at least."

"Itachi obviously has a positive effect on him. Hopefully we can work this out."

"I'll go get him."

Kakashi left Tsunade in the living room as he went to the bedroom that was holding the Uchiha brothers. Kakashi walked into the room and again he had to take a few seconds to see them on the bed. Itachi was lying on his back turned slightly to his right side with his head on top of Sasuke's. Sasuke was curled up into Itachi's slightly turned chest and if his breathing was anything to go by Sasuke was sound asleep. Kakashi didn't want to have to wake either brother up. Kakashi could tell last night that Sasuke wasn't the only Uchiha having problems. Itachi had spent six years living with criminals. He had killed his own family. That wasn't something someone just walked away from and was perfectly fine afterwards. Kakashi knew that Itachi was going to be having some of his own problems. Kakashi needed to also keep an eye on Itachi, though Kakashi knew that Itachi would be able to handle his problems. Kakashi still didn't want to just ignore Itachi. Itachi truly was the only father Sasuke had ever known and Kakashi wanted to be able to get along with Itachi. Kakashi made his way across the room and over to Itachi's side of the bed. Kakashi wasn't quite sure how to wake Itachi up. Kakashi knew he didn't have any weapon in his hands, but Itachi never needed one either. After a few seconds to debate, Kakashi decided to just go for it. He reached out and gently touched Itachi's left shoulder as he called his name quietly.

"Itachi"

That definitely did the trick. Itachi's eyes opened to reveal red ones as he grabbed onto Kakashi's wrist. Kakashi put his free hand up in the air to show that he had no weapons, but again with Itachi that wouldn't matter if he did. Kakashi knew that Itachi would have a few of his own problems and Kakashi knew that Itachi wouldn't hurt him.

"It's okay it's just me." Kakashi whispered so he wouldn't wake Sasuke up.

Kakashi could see Itachi start to register where he was and who he was with. After a few seconds his eyes went back to normal and he let go of Kakashi's wrist.

"Tsunade is in the living room she wants to speak to you. It's just after six in the morning."

"I'll be out in a second." Itachi said tiredly.

Kakashi gave a nod and left the bedroom to give Itachi a few moments to get himself together. Kakashi could see the exhaustion in his face and he was wondering how bad last night was with Sasuke. Kakashi went back out into the living room where Tsunade was standing.

"He'll be out in a minute."

"How is he?"

"He'll be fine in time."

"Do you think it would be dangerous for the village to have him here?"

"No I don't. Itachi never hurt anyone in the village. He follows orders and that's not something you can fault him for. He genuinely wants to be here for Sasuke."

Tsunade gave a nod and Kakashi could tell that she was thinking about how to go about this. It wasn't like she could just bring Itachi back into the village without any repercussions. The village knew that he was the one to kill the Clan and Tsunade wasn't about to start telling people the truth behind it. Itachi came out into the living room and both Kakashi and Tsunade could see the exhaustion in his eyes. Itachi was tired in more ways than one. It was in that moment that Tsunade knew Itachi was done. He had dedicated six years of his life to living with criminals as a spy. He had killed his own family out of the safety of Konoha. He needed a break and Tsunade was more than happy to give him one.

"Hokage-Sama, what can I do for you?"

"I think you've done enough for Konoha. I found the documents of your mission and your kill orders for the Uchiha Clan. Danzou and the council were not happy about my knowledge of it. Nor are they happy that you have been seeing Sasuke; though I could tell they weren't stupid enough to say or try anything to you or to Sasuke."

"That would be very foolish on their part."

"I agree and thankfully they know that. The question is what do you wish to do?"

"What would you like me to do Hokage-Sama?"

"I want you to give me an honest answer. Not a ninja answer Itachi. What do you honestly want to do? Do wish to stay here in Konoha or do you wish to continue your mission. The choice is completely up to you and I will support whatever decision you make."

"I know my duty and responsibilities are with Konoha. However, I also have a responsibility to my brother and he needs me more than Konoha does right now. I would like to stay if you allow it."

"Like I said I will support whatever decision you make. If you want to stay to be here with Sasuke, than that is perfectly fine by me. There are some things we will need to figure out. Most importantly what we are going to tell the village. I can have a message sent out to everyone so the village will know come noon hour. I don't think it is a good idea for the village to know the whole truth. I can have it so that they know you were on a mission as a spy in the Akatsuki. As for the Clan's death that needs to be kept a secret. However, the other ninja and villagers won't trust you if they think you were the one to kill the Clan. For now I think it should be that you took credit for the Clan's death in order to join the Akatsuki. The person that killed the Clan was caught that night and killed. We had you take credit for it to help with your mission to be more believable. How does that sound to you?" Tsunade said.

"It's fine with me if that is what you wish to tell people." Itachi answered.

"I think it would be for the best. We don't know how the village would react to knowing the truth behind the Clan's death. This way your good name is restored and Konoha's dirty secret is still buried, which should please the council and Danzou." Kakashi said.

"I have no interest in pleasing them, but anything that will keep any added stress off Sasuke I am all for." Itachi said.

"Then that is what I will do. By noon everyone in the village will know and your name will be restored. Your title will go back to Jounin and your rank among them will be restored. It will be your choice what you wish to do. You can go back into the ANBU, be a sensei, or just a normal Jounin. You don't have to decide any time soon you have lots of time to decide. Just focus on Sasuke for now and when you feel like you are ready to go back to work we can figure that out." Tsunade said.

"I'm not sure yet. I know I don't want to be back in the ANBU. I would love to be a sensei, but I'm not sure how well that would go over with parents or the students."

"I think the students would love it. The parents might not respond very well at first. There's never been an Uchiha as a sensei." Tsunade said.

"The parents might actually like the idea, because he is an Uchiha. Everyone in the village knows how strong Itachi is. As a parent I would want my child to be on Itachi's squad. At least I know that my child will be safe and protected. Not to mention the endless list of techniques that he knows for any type of chakra." Kakashi said.

"It's something we can discuss when you are ready to go back to work. Right now I'm sure your priority is Sasuke's well-being." Tsunade said.

"It is." Itachi answered.

"When Sasuke is able to return to work your decision might change." Tsunade said.

"I don't truly know if Sasuke is ever going to be returning." Kakashi said.

"What do you mean?" Itachi asked.

"We talked a few weeks ago about a few things one of them being regrets. He asked if I had ever thought about not being a ninja anymore. I told him the truth that every ninja at some point thinks about leaving. I had many times, but I always stayed, because I knew if I left I would regret it. He said that he didn't know if he could do it anymore or if he wanted to even do it anymore. He mentioned about how growing up he loved detective work." Kakashi explained.

"He did very much so. He used to read detective novels and try to solve the crime by the end of the book. He's extremely good at puzzles his mind just works that way. I always told him to follow his dreams, but he went into the academy instead. He was hoping it would make the Clan like him more. He was hoping to earn some respect and recognition from father. He's never wanted to be a ninja." Itachi said.

"That choice is his and his alone to make. Just like yourself I will support any decision he makes. I can completely understand how it would be difficult to return back to being a ninja after everything that has happened to him. Him being a ninja concerns me slightly with his health problems. He only has one kidney, you both do, but you are a lot stronger than he is. Sasuke is still learning and developing his skills. One wrong hit to his kidney and it could fail. Not to mention with his lungs and heart. I would really like to have him down to the hospital so I could run some scans and tests. His lungs are underdeveloped that might be why he's having such a hard time breathing now." Tsunade said.

"He can't breathe properly?" Itachi asked Kakashi.

"He can when he is not moving. Once he starts to move around even something simple like going from the bedroom to the living room he's out of breath. He had pneumonia, which put stress on his lungs already and he still has a slight cold still. If we could get him to go to the hospital for a few hours it would be a good idea." Kakashi said.

"I'll talk to him and he'll go, but it might be better later on at night time. There won't be as many people on the street. We did talk a little bit last night. He hasn't been outside; because the last time he was he had an anxiety attack. He said when he is outside he feels vulnerable and he can't breathe. He's second guessing his skills, because he didn't sense the man that took him. So he's wondering how many others are out there watching him that he can't sense." Itachi said.

"He's paranoid that's understandable after what he has been through. We need to make sure that it doesn't go to the extreme. I can give him a prescription for the anxiety, but I would much rather have him work through it himself if he can. His physical health has never been the main concern you both know that. His body will heal with time. It's his mental and emotional health that concerns me. The paranoia and anxiety needs to be taken care of and quickly. If he is too paranoid to leave the house it won't do anything good for his mental and emotional health." Tsunade said.

"How was he taken?" Itachi asked.

"He was taken from his bed, but there were no signs of a struggle. It's almost as if he didn't even wake up." Kakashi said.

"Maybe he didn't. He could have been drugged." Itachi suggested.

"It's quite possible that he was. He needs to understand that what happened wasn't his fault. It wasn't a reflection of his skill level. He needs to have some confidence restored and that should help with the paranoia. When the anxiety happens you need to get him to talk through it. That is the only way it will help remove the anxiety." Tsunade said.

"It's going to be a long process for Sasuke, but he will get past this." Kakashi said.

"He's depressed, but that is to be understandable. He can't do anything really with his body, but his mind can be used. He needs an outlet, a form of an escape. Do you have anything he could be doing?" Itachi asked.

"Like what paperwork?" Tsunade asked.

"He needs something that he can put his mind into. He needs an escape so when things get too hard he can focus on something else for a little while. Sasuke's mind doesn't do well when it is overwhelmed. The only way he is going to get past all of this is if he sees it as smaller problems and not one giant problem. He can handle it if he has smaller problems to work through. It makes him feel like it's less impossible."

"That makes sense. Right now he has to be feeling overwhelmed by everything. He needs control and an escape. Something he can do that he enjoys to help get away from the pain for a little while." Kakashi said.

"I can get him some books to read, but he needs something more in-depth then that. He needs something that he has to solve and work through." Itachi said.

"Well there is this old program that the Third used to do. It's like a course in strategic warfare. There's a book and worksheets that can be graded. It goes through different strategy types and the person has to plan wars and battles. The whole point is to try and get the highest success rate plus survival rate of your men. The Third stopped doing it, because it was too hard for about ninety-five percent of the ninja trying to do it. It'll make him think that's for certain." Tsunade suggested.

"That could work. He just needs something that he can escape in." Itachi said.

"It makes perfect sense. I want Sasuke to get better and I am more than happy to dig through some old books to find the work. I actually think he'll do really well at it. It also might give him a different perspective on being a ninja. Konoha could definitely use a strategic war planner. The one we have is very old and mean. Thankfully we don't get dragged into war very often." Tsunade said.

"Well he is close to seventy now." Kakashi said

"He needs to retire, but in order to do that I need to find a new one to replace him. He is also the General of the Army during a time of war. He is not easily replaceable." Tsunade said.

"When does Shikamaru get back from his mission today again?" Kakashi asked.

"This afternoon sometime. I'll have him come by if he is up for it. His mission was a simple C-Ranked mission so nothing should have gone wrong."

"Is Shikamaru his only friend?" Itachi asked.

"Shikamaru seems to be the only one that Sasuke doesn't mind having around. Neji was around him once for a couple of hours, but Sasuke hasn't seen anyone in a week roughly now. Shikamaru might be able to get him out of this depression a little bit." Kakashi said.

"I'll let Shikamaru know what is going on when he gets back. I will leave you two alone to go over a few things. I'll work on the message to the village so everyone will know. It doesn't need to be decided right now, but think about living arrangements. I don't know if Itachi, you and Sasuke will be living in a different apartment or if the three of you wish to all live together. That's something you can discuss and let me know. Either way I can help arrange an apartment whether that is a two bedroom or a three bedroom, you can let me know when you have an answer. I'll leave you two alone. Itachi try and keep a low profile for a few days until the village settles over this." Tsunade said.

"I don't plan on going out as myself just yet." Itachi said.

"Let me know if you can get him to the hospital tonight so I can run some tests." Tsunade said.

"I'll talk to him and I'll get him to go." Itachi said.

"Just let me know what time. If he isn't up for it tonight that's fine, but by the end of the week I would like to see him." Tsunade said.

"I'll speak to him about it and see how he is when he wakes up." Itachi said.

"Fair enough. I will see you both a little later on. If you need anything let me know." Tsunade said.

"Thank-you Hokage-Sama." Itachi said.

"Tsunade-Sama." Kakashi said with a nod.

Tsunade left Kakashi and Itachi to do some talking. Tsunade had a feeling they had a few things they needed to talk about. Especially seeing as how Kakashi was Sasuke's biological father. Itachi had been Sasuke's father for the past thirteen years. For Kakashi to come into the picture it was bound to cause some problems and hurt feelings.

"Do you want some coffee?" Kakashi asked Itachi.

"Absolutely."

Kakashi smiled and made his way into the kitchen. Itachi followed behind him and sat down on one of the stools in Kakashi's kitchen. Itachi placed his arms on the island counter top and put his face in his hands. Kakashi got the coffee on and turned around to see Itachi. He could tell that he was exhausted and Kakashi didn't know how to approach this with Itachi. They were never close. Itachi kept people at arm's length, the only exception was Sasuke. Kakashi wanted to know Itachi he wanted to be able to get along and be some form of a family with him and Sasuke.

"You look exhausted." Kakashi said.

Itachi removed his head from his hands and placed them down on the counter top.

"It was a long night. I got him to sleep finally, but every hour he was awake from a nightmare. He didn't stay asleep until after five this morning. Every time he woke up from a nightmare he refused to talk about it and he was scared to go back to sleep. I know he has to talk through the nightmares to get over them, but maybe until he is healed more it would be better for him to be on a sleeping pill. He's terrified to sleep, because of the nightmares. After the third one he was begging me not to make him sleep. I know he needs to get through the nightmares, but maybe I'm hurting him more than doing him good."

Kakashi went and sat down on another stool.

"There's no guide to follow for dealing with something like this. The nightmares he needs to get through, but if he isn't ready for them then it can do more damage than good. Talk to him and see how he feels about it. If he isn't ready we can't make him. When he was first released from the hospital I pushed him to see people. We had an argument about it and he got very upset. He told me why was I pushing so hard when he wasn't ready. I realised that I couldn't make him get better. He needs to be ready for the steps that need to be taken to get better. I promised him we would take it one step at a time for when he was ready to take those steps. If he is not ready to handle the nightmares then we shouldn't make him go through them. The choice is yours Itachi, but I am here for you both."

"I'm not trying to replace you. I honestly don't know what to do about any of this. He's never been like this. I'm winging it just like you are and seeing what works and what doesn't."

"I think it's important for us to be as honest with Sasuke as we can be. Hopefully in return he will be honest with us. We can't help him if he doesn't tell us what is wrong. Communication in this is huge."

"Maybe we should both sit down and speak to him about this. I'm not sure he understands fully how important it is for him to tell us how he is feeling."

"I think that would be a good idea. I did tell him before we left the hospital that it was important for him to tell me how he is feeling. He tends to only do that with his physical pain though and not the rest. Talking to him later on today would be a good idea. He's been through a lot, but he's still young, he must be having problems understanding all of this."

"I'm sure he is. I don't know about you, but I still don't understand how someone can do those things to a child and I'm older than he is."

"I don't understand it either and I really don't think it's possible to understand it. Sasuke must have questions all we can do is try our best to answer them. I'm sure you have seen some horrible things in the past six years."

Kakashi said as he got up to pour some coffee into two mugs. He had placed the cream and sugar on the island counter top already. Kakashi brought the mugs over and placed one in front of Itachi before sitting back down with his own. Itachi took a moment to add his cream and sugar before he spoke.

"I'm sorry about this morning…" Itachi started, but Kakashi cut him off.

"Don't even worry about it Itachi. You've been through a lot in the last six years it's natural for you to be having problems of your own."

"I would never hurt him."

"I know you wouldn't. I'm not worried about you hurting Sasuke. I know you don't exactly talk about your problems or your feelings, but if you ever do wish to talk about it I'm here to listen."

"I'll be fine in a few weeks once I get used to being back. Do you have a library card?"

"I do. Why?"

"I was going to go and get him some books from the library. Do you mind if I use yours?"

"Not all. I'm assuming you are going to go out looking like me?"

"Is that okay?"

"Absolutely. I don't suppose you know of any tricks to get him to eat?"

"I know a couple. I'll make a stop at the grocery store on the way back. See if I can still get him to eat."

"I'm sure you'll be able to. I know this is still a little ways away, but it might be nice for the three of us to stick together. I'm not sure how you or Sasuke would feel about that. I know I wouldn't mind."

"I'll talk to Sasuke and see what he thinks. When are you going to tell him the truth?"

"I figured sometime today I would tell him. There's no point in putting it off any longer. He deserves to know and I want him to know."

"I can be there when you tell him if you'd like."

"I think that would be helpful. There really is no telling how Sasuke is going to take this. I was thinking about doing it after he gets up. Shikamaru will be by later on this afternoon, Sasuke might want to talk to him about it."

"Shikamaru sounds like a good person."

"He is. It helps that he is incredibly intelligent. He's also incredibly lazy he had the second lowest scores in the academy and yet he has an IQ around two hundred. Don't be surprised if he's a little caution and nervous around you. He still feels responsible for what happened to Sasuke."

"We've all been there. He led the mission and it was a failure. They got Sasuke out, but not before everything that happened. It's not his fault for what happened. He couldn't control it and he should never have been put into that position. A higher Chounin or Jounin should have been assigned the mission, not him. In time he will get other missions where he will need to lead and if he is as smart as you say he is then he will succeed."

"He will succeed and he's turning into be a very good friend for Sasuke."

"That's good. Sasuke has never had a true friend before. It will do him some good to have someone he isn't related to, to talk to. I'm sure there were plenty of times he wished he could have talked to someone other than me growing up. It wasn't always hard, but there were times where I'm sure he wished I could just be his big brother and not the parent. There are certain things you don't want to tell your parents, but you want to tell your brother. Your brother is supposed to keep your secrets and not tell your parents. Your brother is supposed to tell you what you did was wrong and then tell you what stupid things you did at his age. I tried to be both, but it wasn't always that easy to separate the two. There was a lot that happened growing up that he kept from me. He thought he would get in trouble, that he was doing something wrong to make the Clan hate him so much. I did a lot of things wrong."

"Itachi you were seven years old when Sasuke was born. You went from being a normal seven year old to a parent literally over-night. You should had never have been put in that situation and any other seven year old would have walked away. You raised him. You raised a very sick baby all on your own. You shouldn't have had to do that, but you did. If I had just pushed your mother more, if I didn't let it go you wouldn't of had to have gone through all of that. Sasuke is alive, because of everything you did growing up. You did the best that you could do given the situation. A situation you should have never been put in."

"I don't regret it, my decision to raise him. I just regret a lot of the decisions I made afterwards. I shouldn't have left him that night. I should have just explained the situation to him and stayed in Konoha. If I had Orochimaru wouldn't have gotten near him."

"Everyone has regrets in their life. The thing is you can't live in the past or you'll make the same mistakes. You are here now; you can protect him from Kabuto and the Sound. You can help him heal and that is more important than anything you could have changed in the past. We all have regrets Itachi the trick is not making them again."

"I should get going before he gets up. I don't want him thinking that I left him again."

"If he wakes up while you are out I'll make sure to tell him that you stepped out for a few minutes."

Kakashi grabbed his wallet and pulled out his library card. He placed it down on the counter top so Itachi could grab it. Itachi finished the last of his coffee and grabbed the card. He stood up and made a hand seal to transform into Kakashi. Itachi made his way over to the front door, but before he left he turned around to face Kakashi.

"Thank-you Kakashi."

"For what?"

"My whole life the only person I've ever had to talk to was Sasuke. It's nice to be able to talk to another adult and not be judged."

"Anytime Itachi and I mean that. Be safe out there."

"Why you got enemies in Konoha?" Itachi said lightly.

"If I do they would have to be mentally unstable to go toe to toe with me." Kakashi said back.

"I'll go toe to toe with you." Itachi said lightly again.

"Now that would be a workout. I might have to take you up on that one day."

"You just let me know when you feel the need to get beat up and I will be there."

"Ya I think we might need some sparring rules so I don't end up in the hospital again."

"You should know better than to look me in the eyes Kakashi."

"I really should by now. I'll remember that from now on. I'm serious, be safe."

"I will be. I won't be long."

Kakashi gave a nod as Itachi left the house. Kakashi drank his coffee as he tried to think of what he was going to say to Sasuke. He knew he had to tell him the truth the problem was Kakashi didn't know how he was going to react to the information. Kakashi knew it was pointless to worry over, because anything he thought of wouldn't settle his nerves for when it came time to actually tell Sasuke. Itachi was going to be there with him while he told Sasuke and Kakashi found comfort in that. He wouldn't have to do it alone and Itachi would be able to keep Sasuke calm. Kakashi decided to go over to the couch and do some reading while he waited for Itachi to come back or for Sasuke to wake up.

It was an hour later when Itachi came back into the house. He was carrying a couple bags of groceries and a few books in his other hand. Itachi went into the kitchen and Kakashi followed behind him. Once Itachi placed the bags and books down on the island counter top he transformed back to his old self.

"How was it?" Kakashi asked.

"It was fine. Everyone just tends to avoid you. Did he wake up?"

"People know I'm not one for small talk. He woke up about ten minutes ago. He's in the shower right now. The first shower of the day."

"How many showers does he have in a day?"

"Usually three. He doesn't talk about it, but he's trying to wash the dirt and his hands off from his skin. I can't get him to talk about any of it especially the rape."

"He said a little about it last night before he broke down, but not much."

Itachi started to pull the groceries out of the bags.

"What did you get?"

"Things that he couldn't resist growing up. He loves grilled cheese, tomato soup, mushrooms and rice, he has two weaknesses though. Sasuke hates sweets, but he has two exceptions. He loves chocolate covered pretzels and mint chocolate chip frozen yogurt."

Itachi said as he started to put the food away in the fridge and cupboard.

"Mint chocolate chip frozen yogurt? Really?"

"Ya I know. It's weird, but he hates ice cream he says it's too bad for your body. Sasuke has a hard time keeping and gaining weight as I'm sure you've noticed. Growing up it was always a challenge to get him to gain weight. He didn't like unhealthy food so I had to find things he liked that were fattening. Frozen yogurt is not as fattening as ice cream, but it was something he would eat anytime. He spent a lot of time in the hospital and we went through gallons of the stuff over the years."

"Why are you sharing all of this information with me? Don't get me wrong I'm glad you are, but why are you?"

Itachi stopped what he was doing and turned to face Kakashi. Itachi knew this conversation would be coming sooner rather than later.

"Because I think you want to know him. I think you want to be in his life as more than just a sensei. I have no problem telling you certain things about Sasuke, but the important and complicated things about Sasuke, you'll have to ask him or figure them out."

"That's the best part about getting to know someone. You get to find out all these things you never knew about the person. Are you sure you are okay with me being in Sasuke's life as a father figure if he lets me?"

"Are you sure you are okay with being his second father and not his first?" Itachi asked back.

"I would never try and replace you Itachi. I wouldn't be able to even if I wanted to. You will always be his father and I would never try and take that from you. I just want to be in his life and I would love for the three of us to be a family one day."

"I would be fine with that. Sasuke and I have only ever had each other. It would be nice to have another adult there to help out with everything. It would be nice to be able to be the big brother at times and not always the parent."

"Growing up you were seven years old raising a sick baby, nothing about that could have been easy."

"It wasn't. They wouldn't pay for anything I had to work just to cover the hospital bills. I couldn't access my trust until I turned eighteen. I never wanted to leave him, but I had to in order to keep him alive."

"Now you're both rich." Kakashi said jokingly.

Itachi smirked at Kakashi for his attempt at making the conversation light once again.

"When do you want to talk to Sasuke?" Itachi asked.

"I figured when he gets out of the shower. No point in just putting it off."

"You nervous?"

"Unbelievably nervous. It's not every day you tell a traumatized thirteen year old that you are actually his father. I don't even know how to tell him."

"Sasuke doesn't like it when someone beats around the bush. Just be completely honest and get to the point quick. He's not going to want to hear excuses. He's just going to want the truth, even if it's hurtful."

"So my best shot is to just come straight out and say it. I guess that makes things easier, but I'm still nervous."

"There's nothing I could tell you that would ease your nervousness. I wish I could say I know how he will react, but I don't. With everything that has happened to him recently there really is no telling how he will react to this."

"I want to tell him, but maybe it would be better to wait until he has dealt with all of this first."

"No, the longer you wait the more upset he will get. He won't like it if he finds out that you knew months ago, but kept it from him. The sooner he knows the better it will be."

The conversation was cut short when they both heard the bathroom door opening. They could hear footsteps going back into the bedroom so Itachi called out.

"Where are you going little brother?"

They heard the footsteps stop and then come towards them down the hall. A few seconds later Sasuke appeared in the doorway to the living room.

"I thought you left." Sasuke said sounding confused.

"I told you last night my mission was over. Why I would leave?"

"I figured you changed your mind."

Itachi went to move towards Sasuke so he could hug him as he spoke.

"Why would I change my mind?"

"Because I'm too much trouble." Sasuke said softly.

Itachi placed a gentle hand on the side of Sasuke's face as he spoke.

"You are never too much trouble. Come and sit down for a bit I'll get you something to eat."

"I'm not hungry." Sasuke mumbled.

"I didn't ask if you were hungry."

Itachi said as he started to guide Sasuke into the living room and down onto the couch. Kakashi went over to join Sasuke in the living room, but he chose to sit in the chair next to the couch. This way the upcoming conversation would be easier.

"How are you feeling Sasuke?" Kakashi asked.

"Same"

"Has the pain gotten any worse in the last week?"

"No"

"We should start to get you outside and moving around. Help strengthen your muscles again."

Sasuke just gave a distant nod and Kakashi knew that the conversation was over. Sasuke really wasn't a talker, but in the past week he had been more quiet than usual. Kakashi knew he couldn't expect miracles, but he was hoping with Itachi now being back that Sasuke just might start to heal from all of this. Itachi walked back into the room with a bowl of mint chocolate chip frozen yogurt. He handed Sasuke the bowl and Sasuke couldn't help the small smile. Itachi sat down on the other end of the couch with Sasuke.

"You remembered."

"How could I possibly forget? I used to get lectured all the time by the doctors when you were in the hospital. They used to tell me that a growing boy can't survive off frozen yogurt. I didn't care though, because you always ate it and for me that was good enough."

Sasuke took a few bites of the frozen yogurt and he couldn't believe how good it felt against his sore throat.

"That should help your throat." Kakashi said.

"It does." Sasuke said.

"There are a few things we need to talk about son." Itachi said very seriously.

"Son, this must be very serious. There are only three situations when you call me that. When you are beyond mad at someone, when I'm seriously hurt and you are comforting and then when you have something very serious to talk to me about. You're not mad and you're not being comforting right now so that only leaves the last option. What happened?"

"Nothing happened. You are still safe it's nothing like that. We do have a few serous things to talk about though, starting with your health."

"What about it?"

"Before this happened you hadn't been to the hospital since you were seven. You haven't been getting any tests done on your heart and lungs. Why is that?" Itachi kept his voice calm, but also serious. Itachi needed Sasuke to know that this was a very serious conversation.

"I felt fine. I didn't see the point in going to the hospital to get tests done. My heart or lungs haven't been giving me a problem so why go?"

"Because things could be wrong without you even knowing it. Just because you feel fine doesn't mean that everything is okay."

"Is there something wrong?" Sasuke asked with some fear in his voice.

"No there's nothing wrong that we know of. Tsunade is upset that she hadn't been informed of this. She wants to run some tests tonight in the hospital and I told her we would be there."

"Why? I feel fine." Sasuke said slightly annoyed.

"Just, because you feel fine doesn't mean that nothing is wrong. I'm not saying that something is wrong. I'm saying we need to get you checked out. Tsunade wasn't looking for any damage when she healed you from the attack. She was more concerned about your injuries and the pneumonia. She just wants to make sure that everything is working properly and so do I. It's been six years the tests need to be updated. I'm also a little concerned about your lungs. You have a hard time walking from the bedroom to the living room. I know your body is seriously injured, but your lungs should have healed enough in the past month and a half since the attack for you to walk a hundred feet without getting tired. I know you hate getting tests done, but it's only two hours at most in the hospital. We don't have to wait for the results we can find out when they come through in a couple of days."

"I really don't want to. I hate those tests and that dye makes me sick for days afterwards."

"I know it does and Tsunade might not need to do that test. She might have other ones that she wants to run. I know you don't want to do this you never have. We've had this conversation many times growing up, but this is important. This is your health we are talking about Sasuke. This really isn't up for discussion you are going tonight. I would really appreciate you not fighting me on this please."

"Fine, but when the tests come back that I'm fine I don't have to go for at least a year."

"Deal"

"Is that it?" Sasuke asked with some slight attitude to his voice.

"Not yet and drop the attitude."

"I hate doctors, hospitals and tests. I said I would go, but you can't expect me to be happy about it."

"I know, but it's not easy having to be the bad guy all the time. I wouldn't make you do this unless it was important Sasuke."

"Ya I know, but sometimes I wish I could go to my big brother and complain about father like a normal brother. I love you, I do, but it never used to be this hard."

"No it wasn't, but you were younger. You didn't have any problems beside what the Clan put you through. We've never been in a situation where an older brother and father would act differently. We'll figure it out. There will be a few bumps in the road, but we will figure out the balance. For now where your health is concerned I will be your father and make you go, because it's for the best. Everything else I am your big brother and you can tell me anything and I won't get mad. I promise you we will figure this out. There are a few things we need to start working on before they get too severe."

"Like what?"

"Your anxiety for starters. I know it's scary, but we need to start working on removing your anxiety about being outside."

"How?"

"We take it slow. We can start by just being outside in the backyard and then we can move up from there. I'll be out there with you and when you feel anxious then we can talk through it until it goes away. I know this is all hard for you and I can't imagine how frustrated you must feel. If we don't put an end to these problems early then as time goes on they will get worse and harder to overcome."

"Everything just seems so impossible. There are all these problems and the list just seems to get longer every day."

"It is a long list Sasuke, but we can shorten it by correcting the smaller problems. Your anxiety about being outside is understandable, but we can fix it. I think it's important for you to know that Tsunade was here earlier and she did mention that you were taken in your sleep as you know. What you don't know is that you were drugged. That's why you didn't fight. You probably don't remember, because of the drug but you sensed him. You were just drugged before you had the chance to fight. Your senses are good and they will only get better with age. Don't doubt yourself it'll drive you crazy if you do." Kakashi said.

Kakashi didn't want to interfere in this conversation. It was between Itachi and Sasuke. Kakashi's time would come later, but Kakashi figured he would help Itachi to get Sasuke to understand that he could do this.

"I was drugged?"

"You were. You sensed him Sasuke you just didn't get the chance to fight. You have every reason to feel anxious and paranoid, but we can't let those feelings grow. Otherwise we will never be able to get you outside or back into a normal life. These are two problems that are easily fixable with a little bit of work." Kakashi said.

"Okay I'll try."

"That's all we are asking from you Sasuke. Obviously you know you need to eat more so I am not going to harp at you for it. There is one other thing I wanted to talk to you about. The nightmares are bad and you're barely sleeping from them. The choice is yours and if you would like we can speak to Tsunade about it. If you'd like we could get a sleeping pill prescription so you can sleep without the nightmares. Now like I said the choice is yours, but you should know that eventually you will need to go off the prescription and the nightmares will come back. This wouldn't be a permanent solution only a temporary one until you felt like you could handle the nightmares. The choice is completely yours and like I said if you want more information we can speak to Tsunade about it tonight." Itachi said.

"I thought you said I had to work through them so they could go away." Sasuke said slightly confused.

"You do and that is the only way to get rid of the nightmares. However, I don't want you to go through something you are not ready for mentally or emotionally. If the nightmares are too much for you and you don't feel ready to handle them then that is something we need to talk about. How are you feeling about the nightmares honestly? I don't want you telling me something you think I want to hear. I want to know honestly how you are feeling about the nightmares."

Sasuke looked down for a few minutes and both Itachi and Kakashi could tell he was debating with himself. Sasuke didn't talk about how he was feeling ever and now all of a sudden he had to talk about it and that wasn't easy for him. It was a good few minutes before Sasuke softly spoke.

"I'm scared of them, of what I'll see. I don't really remember everything that happened. It's all kind of blurs together, but with the nightmares it's clear and I can see everything that I don't remember. There's things that happen in the nightmare that I don't even know if they actually happened or not and that's almost worse. Part of me wants to know, but another part of me doesn't, because what if it is true and I did go through those things. I have to sleep, I know I have to sleep, but it scares me to even think about sleeping. Last night was horrible all night it felt like I couldn't breathe and I just wanted to stop. I know I have to go through it, but I don't know how many more nights like last night I could handle going through."

"Okay, that's okay. Why don't we talk to Tsunade about this and see if she will prescribe a sleeping pill for you. It can't be a permanent fix, but it can be something you can use until you are ready to handle the nightmares. In a few months when you've had some time to deal with everything that happened we can slowly take you off the pills and deal with the nightmares as they come up. I don't want to put you through something you are not ready for. I want to make you better not worse and if the nightmares are making it worse and harder to handle then we won't deal with them yet. In a couple of months we can talk about it again and see how you feel okay?" Itachi said.

"Okay"

Itachi got up and grabbed Sasuke's empty bowl and brought it into the kitchen. He also grabbed the books that he got from the library and brought them back into the living room. Itachi handed Sasuke the books as he spoke.

"I got these for you from the library. I thought maybe you could use something to distract you with."

Sasuke looked through the few book titles as he spoke.

"How do you know I still like murder mysteries?"

"Because your mind will always love a good puzzle."

"Thank-you. Can I go back to bed now?"

"Not yet. Kakashi wanted to talk to you about something."

"Um… okay" Sasuke sounding unsure.

Sasuke and Itachi were both looking at Kakashi and Itachi could tell that Kakashi was beyond nervous. Kakashi had only said a few things since this conversation had started and now it was his turn to take the floor. Kakashi took a deep breath and remembered that Itachi said to just spit it out and not drag it out. Kakashi figured it was now or never so he just went for it.

"Remember when we talked a little bit about your childhood the one day in the living room?" Kakashi asked stalling for time.

"Ya" Sasuke said sounding slightly confused.

"After you went back to bed I had Tsunade come over to talk about something. She ran a test on both of our blood and there really is no easy way to say this so I'm just going to say it. I am your biological father."

The room was silent for a good five minutes. Kakashi and Itachi both sat there and watched Sasuke's mind trying to understand what had just happened. Sasuke's face was completely blank and they knew his mind was going a mile a minute. There were so many emotions going through Sasuke that he didn't even know where to start to understand them. He was confused above all else. If Kakashi was his father than where was he growing up? Why did he wait so long to find out and tell him? There were so many questions and Sasuke didn't even know where to start.

"What?" Sasuke said more to himself than to Kakashi.

"It happened one night thirteen years ago. Your mother and I had been drinking and it just happened. It was that one time only and the next day I was sent away on a mission. I didn't see your mother until she was six months pregnant. She swore it was Fugaku's and I let it go. I never thought about it afterwards and I should have. I was young and I believed her when she said the baby wasn't mine. When you spoke about your childhood and not understanding why Fugaku didn't like you it got me thinking. I had Tsunade run our DNA and compare them. It came back that you are my son."

"I'm not your son." Sasuke said with anger in his voice.

"Biologically Sasuke, Kakashi is your father. I know this is a lot for you to grasp right now, but I told Kakashi it would be better for you to know now rather than later." Itachi said.

"You knew?" Sasuke said with venom in his voice.

"He told me last night. He wanted my opinion on whether or not to tell you." Itachi answered honestly.

"So last night was the first you had ever heard of this?" Sasuke asked.

Sasuke needed to know if Itachi was lying to him or not. Growing up Itachi had said a few things here and there that always made Sasuke wonder. Sasuke was young though, so he let it go and was just happy to have Itachi in his life. Now though, Sasuke wanted the full truth.

"Before when mother was pregnant I overheard her and father arguing about the baby being Kakashi's. There was never any solid proof, but they both knew the truth." Itachi answered truthfully.

Itachi knew this was not going to go over well. He could tell that Sasuke was going to snap and Itachi was more than prepared for it. Itachi figured it was better for Sasuke to have all of the information now rather than drag it out over time and telling him part of the story in sections.

"So you knew my whole life that Kakashi was my father. You sat there listening to me going on about not understanding why mother and father hated me. The nights I spent crying, because I thought something was wrong with me for them to hate me. All the nights father beat me and said horrible things to me. I thought it was because of me when it really was because I wasn't his son. I was some bastard child as a result of a drunken one night stand. And you knew this whole time and you never told me the truth. You never gave me the choice of having Kakashi in my life or not. And now that you both have some piece of paper you think what exactly? That everything will be okay and we can be some happy family? You both lied to me. You knew the truth and you never gave me that piece of mind." Sasuke turned to Kakashi. "And you knew I could have been yours and you stood by and did nothing. Even after they were killed you didn't even step up. You were nowhere to be found when I needed someone. And what you think I'm just going to let you into my life, because of some piece of paper?"

"Sasuke listen to me please." Kakashi pleaded.

Sasuke stood up with the books in his hand.

"No I'm not listening to your lies, either of you. Leave me the hell alone the both of you."

Sasuke left them in the living room and headed back to his bedroom. The sound of the bedroom door slamming shut echoed through the living room. Itachi had a feeling that this was going to happen. Sasuke didn't handle change very well and he wouldn't handle finding out that Kakashi was his actual father at all. Growing up Sasuke had accepted that Itachi was his father and his brother and now everything had changed. It was a huge change and one that Sasuke might not have been ready for, but Itachi was standing by his decision. Sasuke had the right to know and if they kept it hidden from him the repercussions would have been more severe.

"Well that went well." Kakashi said sarcastically.

"I actually expected that to go worse. Sasuke doesn't handle big change very well. He hates not being in control of his life and a big change takes his control away. After everything that happened to him recently he's had the control taken from him. He was tortured and raped and from that he's had his life turned upside down and that in itself is giving him problems. Growing up it would take Sasuke sometimes months to decide on making a big change. There has been so much taken from his control its going to take a long time before he feels in control again. He'll be upset and distant for a few days maybe two weeks at most before he starts to come around. He's going to have more questions once he thinks about this. We are both going to have to do our best to answer them."

"Communication in this will be key. How are we going to get him to the hospital tonight?"

"He'll go, because I will make him go. We can't just ignore his heart and lungs. It's been six years we have no idea how they are working. He could be having problems and still feel perfectly fine. I made the mistake when he was little to not get his kidney checked out bi-yearly. He felt fine and there were no symptoms. By the time he started to feel sick his kidney was only at twenty percent function. It was too late to try and reverse it he needed a new kidney. Thankfully I was a match, but I can't give him a heart or a lung. If they start to fail he'll need it from a stranger that matches his blood. He could die waiting for a donor. We need to stay on top of this no matter what. I don't care how mad he gets or how many days he goes without talking to me. I'm not going to risk his health."

"I completely agree with you. Tsunade had no idea about this; if she did she would have been making Sasuke getting checked out at least twice a year. He's playing with fire and when it comes to his life we can't stay silent about it. He can be as mad as he wants and he has every right to be, but he can't jeopardize his health."

"How would you feel about telling Shikamaru the truth when he shows up?"

"I don't have a problem with it. He knows about you killing Orochimaru. Shikamaru will stay quiet about things. He's really stepped up and has been there for Sasuke since this happened. I'm sure Sasuke will mention it to him so we might as well give him the heads up."

"For now I think it would be best to just give Sasuke some space. Let him think and calm down."

"You look exhausted; why don't you go into my room and get some sleep. Shikamaru won't be back until later on this afternoon. You are going to need to be awake for the hospital later. You should sleep now while you can."

"Ya, maybe I should. It's been a few weeks since I've slept more than an hour or two."

"Go, get some sleep. If you are not awake when Shikamaru gets here I'll come wake you up."

"Ok. Thank-you."

"Everything will be fine. We just have to have some faith."

"If Sasuke is anything he is strong. He survived growing up and he will survive this."

"You raised a good kid Itachi."

"I only raised him until he was seven. He did the rest on his own."

"He only did that, because of the values you instilled in him when he was little. You're a great brother and a great father to him."

"Thank-you Kakashi.

"You are welcome Itachi. Go get some much needed sleep. I'll be here if something happens."

Itachi gave a nod and got up off the couch and headed into Kakashi's bedroom to get some sleep. He was exhausted and he knew he would fall asleep within minutes. Itachi was worried about Sasuke, but he knew that eventually Sasuke would come around to the idea of Kakashi being his biological father. Whether he would accept Kakashi as a father figure was yet to remain seen. In the end it was Sasuke's choice whether Kakashi would play more of a role in his life besides being his sensei. Itachi could only be supportive of Sasuke and whatever his choice was he would stand by him. Itachi went over to the bed and laid down. He couldn't do anything about Sasuke or the situation right now. All he could do was get some sleep so tonight he would be able to function at the hospital.


	25. Chapter 25

Shikamaru headed into Tsunade's office so he could report back in from his mission. He had been on a simple C-Ranked mission for the past week now and Shikamaru was looking forward to being back. He had to admit he had missed Sasuke and he wanted to go and see him once he was finished with Tsunade. He was a little worried about Sasuke, he seemed to be getting more and more depressed and that scared Shikamaru slightly. Shikamaru wasn't a fool he knew that some depression after what happened to him was to be expected. Still though, that didn't make him feel any less uneasy about it. Shikamaru really didn't even want to go on this mission, but he knew he shouldn't be saying no to missions. He had already turned down a leading mission and Tsunade wasn't happy about it. After what happened the last time he was in charge Shikamaru just wasn't ready yet to try again. Shikamaru knew that what happened with Sasuke wouldn't happen every time. He knew that, that mission was a special one and it could have happened to any ninja in charge. It was a failed mission regardless of them being able to bring Sasuke back. The only way Sasuke was still alive was, because Kakashi got there otherwise they would have waited out the storm. Kakashi showed up and saved the day. He was why Sasuke was still alive. Shikamaru knew he would need to be in charge of a group mission one day, but he just wasn't ready for that day to be here yet.

Shikamaru knocked on Tsunade's office door and waited until she said enter. He opened the door and went in with his mission report in hand.

"The mission was a success Hokage-Sama." Shikamaru said as he handed Tsunade his mission report. Tsunade took it and placed it down on her desk.

"Close the door Shikamaru." Tsunade said in a serious voice.

Shikamaru went and closed the door before he turned his full attention to Tsunade.

"Did something happen to Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked with worry in his voice.

"Not physically. Sit down this conversation may take a while."

Shikamaru sat down and his mind was filling with possible outcomes.

"Did someone say something to him? Did Naruto do something?"

"This has nothing to do with the other rookies. No one has said anything, in order for that to happen Sasuke would actually have to be outside. First off, Sasuke has gotten worse. He's more depressed, he won't go outside even in the backyard. He's getting horrible nightmares all night long so he's not even sleeping. When he does go outside he gets anxiety attacks and he is paranoid."

"Okay so what can we do about that? What can I do to help?" Shikamaru kept his voice calm he didn't want to show Tsunade just how scared he was.

Sasuke and him were never close, but after what happened they had become very close. Shikamaru saw Sasuke more than he saw anyone else. It was starting to become a problem between him and Chouji. Chouji had always been his best friend and he always will be, but there was just something about Sasuke. He was a lot different than Shikamaru thought he was. He was strong, but he was also intelligent. They could have deep conversations and the other could keep up. That was something new for Shikamaru to have with someone his own age. It was nice to be around Sasuke and just talk for hours about anything and everything.

"The anxiety and paranoia can be fixed by just getting Sasuke to be outside more. It's natural for him to be feeling this way. Sasuke was taken right out of his bed and he never woke up. The man we suspect drugged him, which is why he never woke up. In reality there will always be ninja that you'll never sense. There are ninja that I can't even sense, but a person can't dwell on that or they would go crazy. Sasuke has had a lot taken from him recently and his confidence is in the crapper. I'm not worried about that though, once his body is more healed he can work on building back up his muscle strength and his confidence will go up again. The depression gives me some concern. Anxiety is easy to fix in the early stages. Depression is something that can snowball very fast and get out of control. I don't want Sasuke in that high risk range. He's not talking about how he feels or about what happened to him. Not talking about it at this point will make his depression worse. He needs to start talking about what happened and about how he feels about it. I don't know how he is feeling, I would imagine he is feeling trapped. He can't get out and do something to feel like himself. His body isn't able to do that right now. His body is still in a great deal of pain and that in itself can be depressing. I know he won't speak about the rape for a long time and forcing him to talk about it won't help him. However, the torture and how he is feeling will help him to start getting over that aspect. He might feel more comfortable talking to you seeing as you are the same age. He still won't see anyone and Neji has been out on a mission and won't be back for a few days still. I did speak to Naruto and he spoke to the others. He seemed to understand more about what he did wrong. He hasn't been bothering Sasuke which is good. You are probably the one and only friend Sasuke has had in his life and he's going to need you especially after what happened today."

"What do you mean? What happened?"

"Itachi is back and he will be living in Konoha again. I know that you know the truth behind everything."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, but Kakashi-San didn't want to hurt Sasuke. I didn't want Sasuke to be questioned or get hurt either."

"I'm not mad at you for not telling me. I understand why you didn't and Kakashi did tell me and I spoke to Itachi this morning. He is staying in Konoha to be here with Sasuke. His mission is over and for now he is just going to be helping with Sasuke. He's not going to be on duty for a little while."

"I would imagine he needs the break. He's been gone for six years after killing his own family. I can't imagine he's okay with everything."

"He isn't, but from what I remember and hear Itachi is very good with dealing with difficult things. Also Kakashi will be there so he can help Itachi if something happens or he needs it. I'm sure all Itachi needs is just some time. Itachi being back is a good thing and I have already sent the message out to the village and the other villages about his return. Everyone believes that Itachi didn't kill the Clan; that the man that did was killed that night and Itachi took claim of it. He did so for the mission he was sent on to the Akatsuki. Itachi is going to keep a low profile for a little while, but he's not very sociable any more than Sasuke is. He will be at Kakashi's when you are there though just so you know."

"Maybe it's not a good idea for me to be there with Itachi there."

"Why? Because you think what happened to Sasuke is your fault."

"What happened is partly my fault. I was in charge of the mission and I failed. I didn't keep Sasuke safe and if it wasn't for Kakashi he might be dead right now. We were going to wait the storm out if we had Sasuke could have died while we did nothing. While I did nothing."

"What happened to Sasuke was not your fault. It was Orochimaru and that man's fault. It was my fault for sending you all and putting you in charge. I should have done something else and sent someone older and more experienced than you. For that I am sorry, but what happened is not your fault. You did what you thought was best just like other people would have. Kakashi knows a lot about medical and injuries he has to in order to be a sensei. Other ninjas in higher rankings don't know much more than you. You can't blame yourself for going with the knowledge you have. If you wish to know more about injuries and what to look for than I would suggest going to the library and doing some reading. You can never learn too much, but you need to accept what happened and move on yourself Shikamaru. The others have and you need to as well."

"I know it's just not that easy. I guess that's why I understood Sasuke not being able to so easily either. If it's hard for me I can't imagine how hard it is for Sasuke."

"Things are going to be a little harder in the next few weeks. Tonight I will be running some tests on Sasuke. He has some medical issues from when he was born that I never knew about. I need to run some tests to make sure everything is fine."

"What kind of medical problems?"

"The only reason why I am telling you this and everything else is because I know you want to help Sasuke. I'm sure Sasuke will be talking about this with you at some point so there is no point in not telling you. Sasuke was born two and a half months early. As a result he only has one kidney and his heart and lungs are underdeveloped. He was getting tests done every six months before he was seven, but he hasn't gotten any since. I need to make sure everything is working properly. That's not what is going to get Sasuke the most upset though. What I am about to tell you needs to stay between us, Kakashi, Itachi and Sasuke. No one else can know about this until Sasuke is ready."

"I give you my word."

"A week ago Kakashi and I were speaking and Kakashi wanted me to run Sasuke's DNA against his own. It turns out that Kakashi is actually Sasuke's biological father. Kakashi and Itachi were going to tell Sasuke this morning after I left."

"How?"

Shikamaru couldn't believe this. If he was this shocked he couldn't imagine how Sasuke was feeling.

"It was a long time ago and a one night stand. Kakashi didn't even see Sasuke's mother until she was six months pregnant and she swore it wasn't his. Kakashi let it go and from what I gather he regrets doing it. Sasuke didn't have a very good childhood. Both of his parents didn't want him and they ignored him. Itachi is the one that raised Sasuke and he's Sasuke's legal father. It's all very complicated now and confusing. Sasuke is going to lose it when he finds out. He's going to need a friend."

"Ya that's crazy. I'll head over there after I stop in at home to let my parents know I'm alright."

"I know it's not fair to put this all on you. I would completely understand if you want to put some distance between the two of you."

"I appreciate that, but I'm not going to leave Sasuke to deal with all of this. At first I felt guilty, but we've been talking and hanging out. Sasuke is actually pretty cool. He's a lot smarter than I thought he was. It's nice being able to have a good conversation with someone my own age. I've never had that before Sasuke. In the past week I've actually missed him. I judged him and I regret that, because of all the years we have missed out on being friends. I'm not going to make that same mistake."

"That's very adult of you Shikamaru. I told Kakashi and Itachi that you would probably be over there today. Go home get changed and see your parents then head over when you are ready."

"Thank-you for the information Hokage-Sama. I'll see Sasuke in about an hour."

"Good luck."

Shikamaru gave a nod and he headed out to go home before he went over to see Sasuke.

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It was just after two in the afternoon when Itachi came out of Kakashi's bedroom. He couldn't believe that he had slept that long nor was he planning on it. Itachi went out into the living room to see that Kakashi had actually cleaned the place and showered and changed.

"Well you look better." Itachi said to Kakashi as he sat down in the chair.

"I could say the same for you." Kakashi said back.

"I didn't expect to sleep that long. Has Sasuke come out?"

"Your body clearly needed the sleep and only to go to the bathroom. He won't even look at me let alone say anything."

"It's a disaster right now, but he will come around in time. Sasuke just needs some space to get his mind around everything. Like I said he doesn't handle big changes very well."

"I can see that. I didn't expect him to be okay with this, but I was hoping he would handle it a little better. He's not just upset with me he's upset with you for not telling him either."

"I made that decision a long time ago and I still stand by it. He was too young to learn the truth. Not mention everything else that was going on with him. I just thought it was an added stress that he didn't need. I still stand by that."

"You made the right decision Itachi. Sasuke was a little boy that was sick; he didn't need to know that as well. As far as he knew you were his father he didn't need to question it. He didn't need to wonder why I wasn't around."

"You didn't know the truth. You were young, but if you did I do believe you would have made an effort to see him. So many things could have been different, but we can't change the past. He'll get through this in time."

There was a knock on the front door so Kakashi got up to answer it. He had a feeling that it would be Shikamaru on the other side. Kakashi knew that Shikamaru was supposed to be by once he got back from his mission. Kakashi opened the door to see Shikamaru standing on the other side.

"Come on in."

Kakashi opened the door further so Shikamaru could enter his home. Shikamaru and Kakashi went over to the living room and Shikamaru was a little worried to be around Itachi. He knew that Tsunade had said that what happened wasn't his fault, but that didn't mean he felt like that. He didn't know how Itachi would react to him being around Sasuke after he failed to protect him. Kakashi sat down on the couch and he could tell that Shikamaru was a little nervous.

"Its' okay Shikamaru Itachi doesn't bite." Kakashi said lightly.

"Tsunade explained everything to me about Sasuke's medical problems, Itachi's situation and about the DNA. She said that Sasuke would probably tell me so she wanted to give me a heads up."

"We had a feeling that she would." Itachi said.

"How did he take it?"

"Not well. We told him early this morning and he hasn't spoken to us since. He's been in his room ever since. He could probably use a friend right now." Kakashi said.

"I'll see what I can do. Itachi I'm sorry about what happened to Sasuke."

"This is not your fault Shikamaru. I killed who was responsible for Sasuke's injuries. You were dealt a horrible hand, one that should have never been given to you. You fought to protect Sasuke and keep him alive. You got him out of the Sound and kept him alive until help could come. You did what was in your power to do and that's all anyone can ask from you. I'm not mad at you so don't tiptoe around me or be afraid. Just be yourself and we'll get along just fine."

"I'll do my best. Can I see him?"

"Be my guest. He's upset so try not to take anything he says negatively personally." Kakashi said.

"I won't maybe I can get him in a better mood."

"Good luck with that." Itachi said.

Shikamaru walked down the hall towards the bedroom that he knew Sasuke would be in.

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Sasuke was furious and betrayed. He knew that he was being irrational, but he couldn't help it. Itachi had known all these years that Kakashi was his father and he never told him. Sasuke could have spent all those years with Kakashi and not alone. He wouldn't have had to fight all the time just to survive. He lived on his own and had to fight to pay bills and take care of himself all on his own. He had to live in that house where his parents were killed. He had to scrub the blood off the walls and the floor. All of that could have been avoided if Kakashi or Itachi had opened their mouths and said something. Now they want to do this. Now they wanted to tell him the truth after everything that happened. Sasuke wasn't going to deal with this. He was pissed and he wasn't going to hide it.

Sasuke sat down on the bed and grabbed one of the books. He read the back of them and he decided to read the one that seemed to be the darkest. Sasuke was angry and in a dark place, he wanted to read a book that suited his mood. He was half way through when something caught his attention and confused him at the same time. The one character that had lost his parents had called himself a "cutter". That was a term that Sasuke had never heard before nor did he know what it meant. Sasuke put his book down and got up. He went over to the small bookcase that was in the room. Sasuke grabbed the dictionary and looked up the word cutter. It defined the word as a person who repeatedly inflicts self-injury by cutting the skin, as to cope with negative emotions. Sasuke had never heard of someone doing that before and he couldn't see how that would make the person feel better. Sasuke put the dictionary down and went back to his book on the bed. He began reading it and he read over how the character was cutting his wrist with a razor blade. The person expressed how it made him go numb and feel in control of his life. Sasuke didn't understand how hurting himself would make him feel better, but the character seemed to be able to handle his life after he did it. This had Sasuke a little curious, but he didn't get time to think more about it, because there was a knock on his bedroom door before it opened. Sasuke was pissed off all over again and he was not in the mood to deal with Itachi or Kakashi. Sasuke tried to get his anger under control when he saw that it was Shikamaru on the other side coming in and not Itachi or Kakashi.

"Hey Sasuke." Shikamaru said.

"Hey. What are you doing here?"

Sasuke hadn't seen or heard from Shikamaru in just over a week. Sasuke figured that Shikamaru was sick and tired of seeing him so he wouldn't be back again.

"I'm here to see you silly. I just got back from my mission." Shikamaru said as he sat down on the bed.

"Oh" Sasuke said with a little shock in his voice.

"No one told you I was on a mission?"

"No, but people haven't really been honest with me so I'm not surprised." Sasuke said with a slight anger in his voice.

"Itachi and Kakashi said you were angry. I have to admit it's nice to see you angry. That's the first emotion you've really had since what happened."

"I have every right to be angry right now."

"I completely agree. Tsunade gave me a run down about what happened while I was away. Finding out your sensei is actually your father would make anyone mad. Why are you mad at Itachi though?"

"Because he knew before I was born that Kakashi was my actual father. And why the hell is Tsunade telling you about my life?"

"She knew you would be pissed and upset about it. She also knew that you would eventually tell me so she figured she would cut out the awkward part. I think she also wanted me to know what I was walking in to. How did Itachi know about this?"

"He overheard Mikoto and Fugaku arguing before I was born. They knew that Fugaku wasn't my father for a long time and Itachi kept that from me."

"I'm sure Itachi thought that that was for the best."

"How could it have been for the best though? They ignored me they refused to even name me. While she was pregnant they kept trying to kill me. They hated me and refused to do anything for me. Itachi raised me he was my father and he kept this from me. I always thought Fugaku was my father and I didn't understand what was wrong with me for him to hate me so much. I used to ask Itachi all the time what was so wrong with me. I used to ask him why Fugaku hated me so much and loved him. I thought it was my fault and Itachi knew that. He could have made it better by telling me the truth, but he didn't. He just let me keep thinking that I was some horrible person. I was all alone when he killed the Clan, but I didn't have to be. All of that could have been avoid if I had known the truth. If Kakashi had actually done something back then. I had to clean their blood off the buildings and the floor. I still live there. I had to try and get small jobs just so I can pay the bills and for food. If they had just admitted the truth back then, all of that could have been avoid. They kept this secret and I paid the price."

"I don't know what to say to you, because in reality there really isn't anything I could tell you that would make you feel better. Itachi should have told you, that's what I believe, but he didn't and only he knows what those reasons are. I think you need to talk to them and find out why they never told you. Maybe Kakashi didn't know that you were his. I don't know only they can answer for themselves. I didn't know your childhood was so hard. I thought you had a good one like the rest of us did. We were all so blind. I was so blind."

"Don't get me wrong I love Itachi and I appreciate everything he did for me. He could have just let me go like they did, but he didn't. It was hard and I know it was hard on him. He had to be my father and also my brother at the same time. It wasn't easy growing up and it's really not easy now. I just don't understand why he wouldn't say anything growing up if he knew that Kakashi was my father. Why wouldn't he want to make things easier on him?"

"I don't know, maybe he was afraid of losing you. Maybe he thought if Kakashi came into the picture that you would want him being your father over him. You really should talk to both of them about it and have them answer your questions. I think after everything they have kept from you it's the least they can do. Them not telling you, seems to be what you are more upset over and not the fact that Kakashi is your father."

"I hate not being in control of my life. I always have. Sometimes on missions it's difficult when I have to trust Kakashi, Naruto and Sakura with my life, because I need to be in control of my life. Itachi knew the truth and he kept it from me. He knows I hate when people make life decisions for me and he still did it anyways. He kept this huge part of me from me. He made the decision not to tell me just like Kakashi made the decision to find out without even telling me. He could have come to me and told me he thought I was his son and asked if I wanted to find out. Instead he just went and did it and then told me about it. Maybe I didn't want to know or didn't care. Everything was already complicated and hard and now this. Itachi is back and I'm happy about that, but he's getting all controlling over going to the doctors and my health. He's not letting me have a say in it. Everyone just keeps telling me what I have to do and not giving me any chance to have control over my life. I know I have to go and do these stupid medical tests, but I don't understand why it has to be tonight and not in a couple of days. I don't want to have to do a test and be sick for days afterwards because of it. I just want some say in my life again and not two adults telling me what I have to do."

"You went from being on your own to having Kakashi constantly around and now Itachi. That's hard and can be frustrating. I can't tell you how many times I wished my parents would just leave me the hell alone. You're not used to having someone constantly there and that can be annoying to anyone. You've been through a lot recently and a lot has been taken from your control it's natural for you to want to have some control back. You need to talk to them and tell them how you are feeling. They can't change if they don't know how you feel. What kind of tests do you have to do?"

"Just tests on my heart and lungs. It's mostly scans, but this one scan has this green dye you have to drink and it goes into your lungs. It makes me sick for four, five days afterwards. I just constantly throw up and I can't even keep water down. It gets really bad and then it just magically stops. I hate it and I had to do it every six months for seven years. I don't want to do it, but Itachi will make me do it so I don't get a say in it."

"I don't want to keep repeating myself, but you need to talk to them and tell them how you are feeling. Sasuke you can't keep all of this bottled up inside of you it's going to destroy you. Talk to them; get this out in the open so it can be taken care of. If you don't want to do that test then don't do it. Stand up for yourself. It's your body and they can't make you do a test that you don't want to do. Your body is in enough pain you don't need to be sick for days on top of it. Stand up for yourself with them."

"Everything is so crazy right now I just want some form of control over my own life again."

"Then stand up for yourself Sasuke. Don't let them bully you into doing something you don't want to do. Do you want me to come with you tonight to the hospital?"

"No it's fine."

"Are you sure? I don't mind at all."

"Thanks, but its' okay. I don't even know when we're going."

"How are you feeling besides everything that just happened?"

"I'm fine." Sasuke said with a shrug.

"Clearly"

"What?" Sasuke said slightly annoyed.

"You are not fine Sasuke. We both know you aren't fine. Come on tell me how you really feel just once get it all out."

Sasuke didn't say anything for a few minutes. It wasn't easy to answer this question, because he really didn't know what he was feeling. He felt dirty, but he could never get clean. He felt frustrated and hurt, but mostly he felt confused. He didn't know what he was supposed to do or how he was even feeling half the time. It's why he always said he was fine, because it was just easier to say that than trying to figure out what he was feeling.

"Confused mostly. I don't know what I feel half the time. I'm frustrated that I can't do what I used to be able to do right now. I have to wait for my body to heal and I understand that, but it's still frustrating. I'm tired, because of the nightmares all night long. Things before all of this that never bothered me, just everyday things they all seem too hard now. Everything is loud and bright and I just want it to be quiet and dark. I don't know why I feel like this. Normal everyday things shouldn't be like this. I shouldn't be feeling like this and yet I am and I can't stop it. I feel like I'm drowning and I can't remember how to swim. Everything is closing in on me and I don't know how to stop it."

"You're overwhelmed Sasuke. All these little problems are building up and now bigger problems are building up. You need to try and start removing these problems. Start with the little problems and work on them. Everything is overwhelming right now and that is understandable. There are a lot of emotions that go with being tortured and raped. You need to work through them as they come up. Otherwise these problems will keep piling up and you'll never be able to get out from underneath them. One of those problems is feeling not in control. You need to find some way that you can be back in control of your life. You need to find something that you can be in control of so you can start to work through these problems."

"I'm going to talk to Tsunade about sleeping pills so at least I can sleep without the nightmares."

"I think that's a good idea. Being tired will just make everything seem that much harder than it really is. You need proper sleep so you have the strength and energy to work through everything. I think a sleeping pill would be a really smart idea right now."

"You're right though I just need to find something I have complete control over. Something that will help me not feel so overwhelmed."

"You can do this Sasuke. You survived everything that happened to you when you should have died. You survived what other people wouldn't have. You can do this I know you can and I will be more than happy to help you through all of this."

"Why? No offense, but why do you care all of a sudden when it didn't matter before."

"Because I was stupid before. I judged you when I shouldn't have. I'm finding out all of these things about you that I never knew about. Ever since this has happened I feel like for the first time I'm actually seeing you for you. I'm learning about who you are and what your life was like. I actually missed you this week. I miss having our talks and being able to talk about nothing or everything. I've never been able to have an intelligent conversation with someone my age before. You are able to keep up. You understand what I say and you have something to add to the conversation. When I'm around you I feel like I can just be myself and not have to dumb things down for people. I judged you and I will always regret that, because we could have been really good friends from the start."

"Why did you judge me?"

"Same reason everyone else did, because you are an Uchiha. The village seems to have a stereotype when it comes to Uchihas and that got passed down to the younger generations. We all thought you were a bastard and rude. You didn't talk to us or really seem friendly. We were young and we made assumptions and judgements based on the things we heard from our parents and other villagers. We were young, I was young and stupid. It's a mistake I won't make twice. I'm sorry that I did judge you maybe if I hadn't this wouldn't have happened."

"Orochimaru would have been after me regardless of how many friends I had. You can't blame yourself and don't tell me you don't, because I know you do. It's not your fault what happened to me."

"People keep telling me that, but it's not that easy to believe. Tsunade wants me to lead on another mission, but I keep turning her down."

"Why?"

"I'm not ready. I know the odds of what happened to you happening again are ridiculously low, but still I can't do it yet."

"Any ninja older than you will tell you that these things happen. I'm sure every single one of them had been in charge of a mission that has gone horribly wrong. You can't let that stop you from leading again though. You need the experience so when something goes wrong in a mission again you'll know what to do and you'll be able to handle it."

"I know I need to lead again, I'm just not quite ready yet. Maybe I'll do one that is a simple mission so there's no pressure. Something simple to get my feet wet."

"Simple would be a good idea; ease you back into it."

"Yeah I'll see how I feel about it in a few weeks. I have to get going though I'm supposed to be meeting with the team."

"Oh fun." Sasuke said sarcastically.

"It can be. We haven't been seeing each other very much recently so Asuma wants us to get together. It could be interesting. I'll come by tomorrow and let you know. This way I can know how the tests went."

"Yours is going to be more fun."

"Remember stand up for yourself. Don't do something that is just going to make you sick for days on end. Show some attitude."

"I did earlier. Itachi kind of yelled at me for it. He's not used to it, he's used to the little boy that did everything he was told. I'm not five anymore though."

"Everything will work itself out and be okay. Don't lose who you are for anyone. I'll come see you tomorrow."

"Thanks again for the talk."

"Anytime Sasuke."

"See ya."

"Later"

Shikamaru walked out of the bedroom and closed the door behind him. Shikamaru went out into the living room where Itachi and Kakashi were still.

"How did it go?" Kakashi asked.

"Don't take this the wrong way but you're an idiot. The both of you."

"Excuse me?" Itachi said clearly not happy about what Shikamaru just called him.

"All I have heard is that people who were raped feel like all their control has been taken from them. Kakashi you keep saying that Sasuke needs to feel in control again and yet you both are taking control from him."

"What are you talking about?" Kakashi asked.

"You are making big decisions without even asking him. That's what he is so upset about. You both keep making all of these decisions without even consulting him on them. He feels overwhelmed and has no control over his own life. You made the decision to keep this from him for his whole life Itachi. He's upset, because he had to go through living on his own since he was seven. He had to clean up the blood that you left behind when you killed the Clan. He still had to live in that house and try to pay bills from odd jobs around the village at seven. All of that could have been prevented if you just told him the truth when he was younger. Kakashi you decided that you would run the DNA. You both keep making big life altering decisions without even consulting him on them. All he wanted was to be asked at least. You could have asked him if he wanted the DNA even tested. You both keep taking more control from him and now he feels completely lost and confused. He said he feels like he's drowning and can't remember how to swim. You can't keep making all of these decisions without even talking to him about it first. This whole medical test thing tonight he does not want to go. He doesn't feel ready to go and he really doesn't want to drink the dye for that one test. I hate to say it, but you both are ganging up on him and kinda bullying him to do what you want him to do. And that's exactly how he feels."

"That was not our intentions." Kakashi said.

"He needs to get the tests done." Itachi said.

"And he knows that, but he also knows that he doesn't want to be sick for the next four to five days. He's got enough problems with his body he doesn't want that to go with it and I have to say I don't blame him. I know he needs to get some tests done, but you can't keep taking control from him."

"We haven't been bullying him." Itachi said defensively.

"We did kind of gang up on him though. We told him a lot in that one conversation and we both knew he was getting overwhelmed with it all." Kakashi said.

"We needed to tell him and get the information. There's no point in dragging the conversation out over days." Itachi said back.

"I get that, but we did over load his brain. We talked about making the problems fewer and smaller but we just added to the pile and made them bigger. Shikamaru is right we haven't been giving him control of his life."

"He really doesn't want to go to the hospital." Shikamaru said.

"I know he doesn't, but he needs to go. This isn't something I can just let go and ignore. He hasn't gotten any tests done since he was seven. He needs them done." Itachi said.

"And he knows that, but you need to give him some say in this. If he has to go to the hospital than at least don't let Tsunade run that one test. Give him that much say so he doesn't end up sick for days on end." Shikamaru said back.

"Is he sick every time?" Kakashi asked Itachi.

"The test involves him drinking this green dye that is absorbed through his lungs. It makes him throw up for days straight; he can't even keep water down. He had to go through it twice a year for seven years. It makes him really sick and he used to cry all throughout the test. It was horrible and each time he had to go he used to beg me not to let them run that test."

"That's awful. And that same test might have to be done tonight?" Kakashi asked.

"Probably. It's the most accurate to see how someone's lungs look on the inside."

"Itachi we can't put Sasuke through that. Not with the state that he is in now. His body can't handle being sick for days right now. You can't have Tsunade run that test." Kakashi said.

"It's the most accurate to see Sasuke's lungs. We don't know what kind of damage the pneumonia could have done."

"The choice is yours, but I told Sasuke to stand up for himself and not be a push over. So be prepared for some fight. He also said you, Itachi, half yelled at him, because he showed you some attitude. That's not fair. He's been through a lot and that was the first time he had showed any signs of his old self. You haven't been around Sasuke since he was seven. At some point you have to admit that you don't truly know Sasuke anymore. He's not seven, his personality is different. He's been raising himself for six years. That's six years of doing what he wants, when he wants and how he wants it. Having a parental figure all of a sudden would have been hard on him regardless of what just happened to him. He wants control of something. He wants control of his life and if you both keep denying him that he's going to find control in something negative. Sasuke is smart and responsible he will make the right decision if you just let him. He doesn't want to be told what he has to do. He wants it to be discussed and for him to decide what happens to his own life. I really don't think that's too much to ask for." Shikamaru said.

"You're right Shikamaru. Sasuke needs control and if we keep taking it from him he will find a way to get control with something else. The last thing we need is Sasuke refusing to eat, because it's something he has control over." Kakashi said.

"We need to talk to him, but we can't make him feel like we're ganging up on him." Itachi said.

"Maybe you should go first and then in a couple of days I can speak to him. He needs time to process everything that he just learned. When he is ready he'll come to me." Kakashi said.

"I'll go speak to him then and figure things out." Itachi said as he got up out of the chair.

"He did mention the sleeping pills and I told him it was a good idea. He seems to be really interested in it. He looks like he could use a good week's worth of sleep." Shikamaru said.

"Tonight we can speak with Tsunade about it and see what she says. I'm sure she won't mind as long as it's temporary." Itachi said.

"Thank-you Shikamaru for putting us in our place. You care about Sasuke I just hope you aren't taking any heat because of that." Kakashi said.

"My team is a little upset with me for not being around as much, especially Chouji. I'm on my way now to meet up with them and Asuma for a team meeting. I'm sure everything will work out just fine. I'm not going to stop being friends with Sasuke, because they don't like it."

"Everyone has friends that don't get along with their other friends. Not everyone likes everyone. It's natural to have a group of friends and have some that can't be around others. When there are multiple personality types together arguments are bound to happen." Itachi said.

"Just let them know that you are friends with Sasuke and that they don't have to be. Everyone can be civil with each other when they are around each other. This is a part of growing up unfortunately. Keeping different friends that aren't friends with your friends is something everyone has to deal with. Just think how Tsunade feels she has over a hundred ninjas to keep in order and a lot of them have someone they can't work with for whatever reasons. You are becoming a young adult and it's not easy." Kakashi said.

"It's not easy, but you can't be a kid forever. The older you get the bigger the problems become. You can't change it so there's no point in complaining about it." Shikamaru said.

"You are going to be a very good man one day. I hope I am around to see it." Itachi said.

"Thank-you. I should get going. I told Sasuke I would go to the hospital with him, but he said he would be fine. I'll come by tomorrow in the afternoon to see him. Hopefully everything will be okay."

"I'm sure everything will be fine. You are always welcome here you know that." Kakashi said.

"Good luck with your team." Itachi said.

"Good luck with Sasuke." Shikamaru said back.

"I have a feeling I might need all the luck I can get." Itachi said.

"He loves you so he won't be angry at you for that long. I'll see you both tomorrow."

"Goodbye Shikamaru." Kakashi said.

"Bye" Itachi said.

Shikamaru left the house to go and meet up with his team. He was a little worried about how they would react. He knew that Chouji wasn't too happy about the time he has been spending with Sasuke, but it was something that Chouji would have to get over.

"I should go and speak to Sasuke. Let him know we are not the enemy." Itachi said.

"Just go easy with him. He's been through a lot and Shikamaru is right he's not that seven year old boy that you knew. Sasuke has a tough exterior and an attitude. He's needed them to protect himself over the years. Just be patient with him."

"I'll do my best."

"That's all anyone can ask for Itachi."

Itachi gave a very small smile and headed down the hall to speak with Sasuke. He really didn't know how well this conversation was going to go over, but Itachi had to try. He wasn't going to lose his little brother and he was not going to lose his son to anyone, especially himself. Itachi was so used to being the parent and making Sasuke do things that he had to do, that he forgot that Sasuke was old enough to make the decisions. Itachi knocked on the bedroom door before he entered. Sasuke was sitting down on the bed with a book in his hand. He looked up and saw that it was Itachi and he turned his attention back down to the book. Itachi closed the door and went over and sat down on the bed facing Sasuke.

"We need to talk little brother." Itachi said gently.

"Now you want to talk as brothers." Sasuke said still clearly upset.

"Being a big brother and a father is complicated especially as you get older. Growing up I had to be more of your father than your brother. I had to make you go to the doctor's appointments and go through those tests, because it was for your own good. You were too young to make those decisions yourself. Now you are thirteen and you have spent the last six years raising yourself and being your own parent. Now it's time for me to take a step back from being your father and start being your big brother. I know you have questions so ask away and I'll do my best to answer them."

Sasuke put the book down on the bed beside him before he spoke.

"Killing them wasn't easy for you I know that, but it wasn't easy for me either. I had to watch as they were carried out in black bags. I had to bury them. I had to scrub their blood off the walls and floor. I still had to live in the house. I still do. I know you did it for a good reason and I don't know what I would have done if I was put in the same position that you were in. I did it all alone and I didn't have to. You knew growing up that Kakashi was my father and you never said anything to me. Not even after all those times that I told you how I thought it was my fault that Fugaku hated me. I thought I was a horrible person and you knew how I felt yet you said nothing. If you had I might not have gone through the Clan's death alone. Maybe Kakashi wouldn't have been there for me, but maybe he would have. You took that option from me. You kept that important part of me from me. I always felt that something was missing that there was this missing piece to me and I couldn't figure out what. You kept that piece from me and I can't help, but wonder what other important information you've kept from me."

"Nothing, there's nothing else I have not told you. I give you my word on that for whatever it is still worth. I never knew you felt like a part of you was missing. I never knew you had to go through all of that after the Clan's death. I'm sorry you had to I truly am. You were sick and young I thought keeping this from you would have been for the best. You were so young; trying to explain that mother had an affair and you were the result of a one night stand wasn't going to go over well. I thought I was protecting you from the truth and the hurt. Kakashi had never came around and I thought he didn't want anything to do with you. I didn't want you to feel hurt and rejected. I was just trying to protect you."

"Trying to protect me from potential hurt or trying to protect yourself?"

"Protect myself from what?"

"From possibly losing me as a son. Kakashi comes into the picture and all of a sudden he's the father and you are just the older brother. Maybe you didn't want to lose me like that."

"I would say that had a part in it as well. I was young I didn't want to lose the only family I had. I'm older now. I've been through things and I am able to handle things better. I know Kakashi isn't going to try and take you from me. He just wants to be in your life."

"Ya all of a sudden now he wants to be in my life." Sasuke said rudely.

"That is only a conversation you can have with Kakashi and only when you are ready."

"Oh now I get a say in things." Sasuke said rudely again.

"I'm sorry we should have gone about this differently. Shikamaru pointed out a few very important things to us. Growing up I had to make the decisions, but you are old enough now to start making adult decisions. So let's talk about these tests. They really need to get done as soon as possible. I really think tonight would be best to get it done and over with. How would you feel about that?"

"Get it over and done with I guess. I don't have a problem going I know I have to do the tests. I just don't like the tests, or that one."

"I know you don't and you've always have. If you don't want to do that one test then I won't make you or let anyone else. You lost a lot of control after what Orochimaru did to you. It only makes sense that you would want that control back. Kakashi and I were wrong with how we went about this and I'm sorry for that. You've raised yourself for the past six years and I understand that it's not easy to have two adults now telling you what to do. Growing up I had to be your father, but now I think you just need me to be your big brother."

"You'll always be my dad regardless of Kakashi and all of this DNA crap. But I could really use my big brother right now." Sasuke said softly.

"I'll always be here for you."

Itachi pulled Sasuke into a hug and gently kissed the top of his head. When Itachi pulled back he spoke.

"You and Shikamaru seem to be getting along really well."

"Ya I guess. He's different than the rest of the people our age. When he showed up that first time he didn't make a big deal out of anything he acted like it never happened. Every time he comes by he acts like it never happened. Today was the first time we even talked about things concerning it."

"Like what?"

"Nightmares; how he was worried about leading a new squad. All day long all I hear is about my injuries and the attack. With Shikamaru though, we talk about nothing. He talks about missions and how everyone else is doing. It's nice being able to have a normal conversation. It helps that he's intelligent, because neither one of us has to dumb down the conversation or over explain something. He understands and I understand. It's nice."

"He seems like a good kid. He definitely cares about you. It's good for you to have a friend you can talk to. You never had one growing up. What is your team like?"

"Annoying mostly. Sakura is just an obsessed fangirl like all the other girls in this village. She doesn't focus much on training and growing. Naruto is just constantly trying to out best me. He says we are rivals, but he spends more time trying to beat me then actually training. He's really loud and annoying. We don't tend to get along."

"You haven't seen them since the attack. You probably should start seeing other people soon."

"Maybe"

"This is one of those things that if you wait until you are ready it's never going to happen. You'll never be ready. It's one of those things that you just need to do it and push through it."

"I know I just… with Shikamaru everything is the same. He doesn't bring it up or look at me differently. I know they will and I don't want that. Neji was here last week with Shikamaru and the three of us talked. So it's not like Shikamaru is the only person I see."

"Have you seen Neji since?"

"No he's been on missions."

"How did you feel around both of them at the same time?"

"It was hard at first, but Shikamaru made the atmosphere really comfortable. He knew how to start a conversation and when to change it."

"Well maybe when you start being around the others Shikamaru could be around when you do. I can be there as well if you want me to be."

"I definitely want you around. I feel safe around you."

"I'll be there. There is something I wanted to talk to you about. You don't need to have an answer now, but I was just curious."

"Ok"

"How do you feel about continuing being a ninja?"

"I don't know I haven't really thought about it."

"Well there is no rush you have plenty of time to figure things out."

"Tonight I'll know more about my heart and lungs. Tsunade might not let me be a ninja anymore. I want all the pieces of the puzzle first before I start to solve it."

"That's a very smart idea. There is no point in getting ahead of everything, before you even have all the information. How's the book?"

"It's good so far. It's nice to be able to have the time to read again. I used to just get up in the morning train all day then go to bed. I forgot to slow down every now and then and just relax."

"Relaxing is very important. If you train your body too much it won't have the chance to fully recover. You need to rest your body so it can recover your chakra levels and heal. Otherwise you are just running off fumes and you'll never reach your full potential."

"That makes sense. If I can't be a ninja I still want to train though. Just in case something happens I want to be able to protect myself and innocent people."

"I think that is a good idea. I would love to train you again."

"You always made training fun. You would be a really great sensei."

"I have lots of time to think about that. You look like you could use some sleep."

"I'm always tired."

"Why don't you try and sleep. We don't have to be at the hospital until later on tonight. I can always wake you up if you are not up by then."

"Ok"

"Alright I'll come and check on you when it's time to get ready. I love you."

"I love you to."

"Get some sleep little brother."

Itachi got up off the bed and gave a kiss to Sasuke's forehead. Sasuke gave him a small smile as Itachi left the bedroom. Sasuke was tired so he figured he would at least try to sleep. So he put the book on the bedside table and laid down to try and sleep.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

Shikamaru headed down to the training grounds to meet up with the rest of the squad. He didn't know how well this was going to go over. He knew that Chouji was having a hard time with Shikamaru and Sasuke's friendship. Shikamaru knew he would have to talk about this and let Chouji know that he wanted to be friends with both of them. Shikamaru really didn't want to have to choose between the two of them. Chouji was his best friend and he didn't want to lose that friendship. At the same time though Sasuke was injured and would only see him so far. He couldn't just walk away from that. He didn't want to walk away from that. He liked being friends with Sasuke and sure at first it was because he felt guilty for what happened and for judging him. Now though, he wanted to spend time with him and he missed him when he was away on missions. He enjoyed the time he spends with Sasuke and he didn't want to have to say goodbye to that.

Shikamaru arrived at the training grounds and saw that his team was already there waiting for him. He let out a breath and headed over to them. He was going to be pleasant and just hope that everything would be okay.

"Hey sorry I'm late." Shikamaru said.

"Not a problem you got back from your mission just a couple of hours ago." Asuma said.

"Were you with Sasuke again?" Chouji asked with some disgust in his voice.

"Actually yes I did go and see him. Is there a problem with that?" Shikamaru asked slightly annoyed already.

"Of course not." Asuma said trying to defuse the situation.

"It is when you spend all your free time with him and ignore the rest of the team." Chouji said.

"I don't ignore you and I don't spend all my free time with Sasuke."

"You do spend a lot of time with him." Ino said.

"He's not your friend. Do you really think he's going to want you around when he is able to go back to work? He's only talking to you, because no one else will." Chouji said.

"No one else is around him, because he can't handle it yet. You don't know what he is going through so don't talk like you do. And when he is healed fully who knows what will happen that's at least six months away still."

"He won't let anyone be around him. He's taking it too far and I'm sorry, but he needs to suck it up now. I don't agree with what Naruto has done, but I can understand why he's mad. Sasuke just needs to get over it. It's been almost three months now." Chouji said.

"Look I hate to say it, but Chouji does have a point. Sasuke really does need to just move on from it now. This is getting a little ridiculous." Ino said.

"It's been three months for us, but not for him. He was in a coma for three weeks and then in the hospital for another three weeks. Sasuke hasn't had the chance to process everything that happened to him, because he's been in too much pain. He was tortured for a week straight and then brutally raped. And you just what? Expect him to just wake up one day and forget it ever happened?"

"Ino and Chouji you both need to understand that Sasuke needs time to get over what happened. He might never get over what was done to him. What he went through is not something that he can just wake up and forget about three days later. Sasuke was tortured and from what I have heard very brutally. That alone would be enough to traumatize someone for life. Let alone what else was done to him. Sasuke almost died and he would have died with extreme pain. Sasuke might never recover from the mental and emotional wounds. I know of other ninja twice his age and three times his age; that were tortured for a few hours and never went back to work. To this day they are still traumatized. I think there is an underlining issue here though. I don't think you both are upset about Sasuke not seeing people. So what is the real problem?" Asuma stated.

"The problem is Sasuke and how he is being so over dramatic about all of this." Chouji said.

"No your problem is the time I'm spending with Sasuke and not you." Shikamaru said.

"You spend all your time there." Chouji said.

"Ya I spend a lot of time with Sasuke. I enjoy spending time with him. Why can't you just accept that Sasuke and I are friends?"

"You might be his friend, but that doesn't mean that he's yours." Ino said.

"You don't even know him or what we talk about." Shikamaru said in Sasuke's defence.

"I know he's a jerk that said five words in the academy to anyone." Chouji said.

"He does think he's better and stronger than everyone our age. Maybe what happened to him will put him down a few pegs." Ino said.

"Ino that is a horrible thing to say to someone. Sasuke graduated at the top of your class. That right there proves that he is stronger than the rest of you. He survived things that most people wouldn't have. Sasuke might not talk much, but that doesn't mean he's a horrible person. Some people are just quiet like Shino and Neji. You two are being very disrespectful and inconsiderate. How would you be feeling if you were in Sasuke's position right now? Would you honestly be handling it any better than Sasuke is?" Asuma asked.

"I don't know." Ino answered honestly.

"I know I wouldn't be pushing my team away and just using others." Chouji said.

"How is he using anyone?" Shikamaru asked.

"He's taken this whole thing too far. He's living in Kakashi's house. Itachi quit his mission to be back with Sasuke and you are there all the time just to entertain him. He's using you all and doesn't care." Chouji explained.

"He's living in Kakashi's house, because he's too injured to live alone. Itachi quit his mission to be with his brother and in Konoha for when the Sound tries something. Not only that for the past six years he's been living with criminals and he couldn't do it any longer. As for me he's not using me at all. We are friends whether you both think so or not, we are. We both share how we feel and talk about things. It's not just a one way conversation. I talk to him just as much, if not more than he does. I like being your friend. You are my best friend, but I like hanging out with Sasuke to. He's smart and it's nice to not have to worry and watch what I say. There is a lot I don't talk to you about, because there is no point you won't understand. That's not your fault, but it's true. With Sasuke I can say anything and he understands. He doesn't judge, because he knows how it feels to be judged. You know nothing about him. If you did you wouldn't be saying these things."

"A lot has happened to Sasuke to make him the way that he is. A person isn't just born with that personality, it's created. That is why the adults in the village don't judge Sasuke, because we know that he was made to be like this. Itachi being back in the village is a good thing for Sasuke and for Konoha. Itachi is extremely strong and will be an asset in wars and missions. I think you both need to take your head out of your ass and start looking around. There is more to a person than what you just allow yourself to see. Shikamaru has every right to be friends with Sasuke and with you as well. You don't have to like Sasuke, but you need to figure out how to be civil around each other. Same goes for Sasuke, he doesn't have to like you and be friends, but he does have to be civil. This jealousy over Sasuke is causing a problem on this squad and I will not have it. This needs to be put to rest and it needs to happen now." Asuma said.

"Look I'll try and spend more time with you. I'm not going to abandon Sasuke though. He's my friend to and I don't want to have to pick between the both of you. Chouji you are my best friend and have been since we were little. Can't you just try and understand."

Chouji let out a sigh. He didn't like Sasuke and he still felt strongly about Sasuke over reacting to all of this. He didn't want to lose Shikamaru as a friend though.

"Fine, but I still don't like him."

"Fine" Shikamaru said in a give up tone.

At least they would be done fighting Shikamaru hoped. He didn't like what Ino and Chouji said about Sasuke, but he was certain they weren't the only ones thinking it. The problem was they had no idea just how traumatized Sasuke truly was. This wasn't easy for him, hell it wasn't easy for Shikamaru to get over. Sasuke needed time and they had to give him that much. Shikamaru was sure that soon Sasuke would have the guts to come outside and see other people. Sasuke just needed a little bit more time before he faced that hurdle.


	26. Chapter 26

Kakashi decided he would personally go and speak to Tsunade about Sasuke going to the hospital tonight. She didn't know what time or if they would be meeting tonight and Kakashi figured he would use this time to get out of the house. He had been inside most of the time recently and he wanted the few minutes to be outside alone. Now that Itachi was back in the village Kakashi would be able to step away for a little while and be on his own while Itachi was with Sasuke. Itachi could protect Sasuke better than himself. Itachi was strong; the strongest in the village currently and Kakashi knew that no one would even think to try to do anything with Itachi around. Kakashi was glad that Itachi was back in the village. Sasuke needed him and Itachi was going to be a great help getting Sasuke healthy again. With Orochimaru dead the Sound would also think twice to try anything with Itachi around. If you were strong enough to kill their leader they don't tend to fight you out of fear and respect.

Kakashi knocked on Tsunade's office door and entered once he was allowed. Kakashi walked in and saw that her desk was covered in paperwork.

"What can I do for you Kakashi?"

"I just wanted to let you know that Sasuke is willing to go to the hospital tonight. We just wanted to let you know and find out what time would be good for you?"

"Later on at night when the street isn't as busy I would imagine would be best. How about nine o'clock?"

"That's fine with us."

"How is he?"

"He's mad and upset. Shikamaru was a lot of help to Itachi and I actually. He helped us see that we were taking control away from Sasuke and we needed to stop doing that. He was right; we have been so focused on his health that we forget he's old enough to make these decisions for himself. I think Shikamaru talking to him really helped to calm him down. Itachi was speaking to him when I left. I think he just needs time to get over what has happened."

"Well it wouldn't be easy to find out that you were actually his father. He was abused growing up by Fugaku leaving Itachi to raise him. I'm sure he feels like you didn't want him or care about him growing up. I know you didn't know the truth, but he doesn't know that. You need to talk to him and answer his questions and let him understand where you came from. Right now he probably just thinks that you didn't care or want him. He's been through a lot growing up and most of it could have been avoided if you had been there. That's a lot to take in and to accept."

"It's going to take time I understand that. And I am perfectly fine with it taking time for him to understand and accept. For now only the four of us know and we need to keep it that way."

"Shikamaru won't tell anyone. Him and Sasuke have been spending a lot of time together and talking about a lot of things. He has grown to care about Sasuke and they have become good friends. Shikamaru told me today that he wished he never judged Sasuke growing up. He feels like he lost many years of a good friendship to that judgement. They are starting to become best friends and I have to say I'm happy for Sasuke. He doesn't have any friends and Shikamaru is a good person to have as a friend."

"Shikamaru is worried about his squad not being happy about his new friendship with Sasuke. Itachi and I told him that, it was a part of growing up. He is going to have friends that don't get along with his other friends. It happens with everyone and it's hard to balance it, but it can be done. I just hope the others understand. They are young and I'm worried about them making a mistake that will affect Sasuke in a negative way."

"Sasuke is not ready to be around other people right now and they need to respect that. They are all young and I hope they can try to understand this and not just think Sasuke is overacting. He's not ready to be around anyone especially his team. They need to respect that and just let him be for now."

"The good news is that only Sasuke and the four of us know the whole truth about this situation. None of us are going to tell anyone so for now it can still be a secret that I am Sasuke's father."

"If this did come out Sasuke wouldn't be able to handle it. He trusts Shikamaru and if he lost that trust I don't know what he would do. This can't get out or that friendship just might be ruined for good. Sasuke will assume that it was Shikamaru that said something. I know Shikamaru won't say anything he is not like that, but Sasuke will assume it was him."

"Shikamaru won't tell anyone. This won't get out I don't see how it could. For now the secret is safe and it will stay that way."

"It needs to. I will see you three tonight at the hospital and I can run some tests on Sasuke and see how his lungs and heart is doing. Until then I have paperwork that I need to get done."

"It might get done faster if you stop falling asleep." Kakashi said as he headed out of the office before Tsunade could yell at him for that.

What they didn't know was outside of the office door was Chouji listening in. He had come by to speak about Sasuke using Shikamaru when he overheard the conversation. Chouji left before Kakashi came out of the room and now Chouji's mind was going a mile a minute. He just found out that Kakashi was Sasuke's father, plus Sasuke was going to the hospital tonight. He didn't like that Shikamaru and Sasuke were getting so close. Shikamaru was his best friend and the only true friend that Chouji had, he wasn't about to lose that friendship to someone like Sasuke. Sasuke didn't deserve Shikamaru's friendship and loyalty. Chouji was not going to let Shikamaru be used by Sasuke or anyone. Chouji made sure he left so he wouldn't be seen by Kakashi. He already had a plan forming in his mind. If he could just get Sasuke to think that Shikamaru betrayed him and told people his secret then he wouldn't want Shikamaru around him. Chouji decided that he would go and speak to Naruto and let him know that Sasuke would be at the hospital tonight. He just had to make sure that this didn't come back to him in any way. He didn't want to lose his friendship with Shikamaru so he had to be careful. Chouji made his way over to Naruto's house so he could speak to him about this.

Chouji knocked on Naruto's door and a few minutes later Naruto answered.

"Chouji what are you doing here?" Naruto asked with excitement in his voice.

"I wanted to talk to you about Sasuke."

"Why? Did something happen?"

"Are you going to invite me in first?" Chouji asked slightly annoyed.

"Oh ya sorry come on in." Naruto said slightly embarrassed.

Chouji walked into Naruto's apartment and he couldn't believe how messy the place was.

"Don't you ever clean?"

"I just cleaned the other day. This is nothing besides I've been on missions. What did you want to tell me about Sasuke?"

"Before I tell you, you have to promise me that you won't tell anyone no matter what that I told you. Got it?"

"Okay ya sure. What's going on?"

"I mean it Naruto no one can know that I told you. I'll get into serious trouble."

"Okay I promise I won't tell anyone and a promise by me is a life time guarantee."

"Shikamaru told me that Sasuke thinks you are mad at him, because he hasn't seen you. Shikamaru said that Sasuke was scared to come and see you, because he thinks you are really mad at him and hate him."

"What? That's ridiculous I don't hate Sasuke."

"That's what Shikamaru said, but Sasuke is all confused after what happened. Shikamaru wanted me to tell you that tonight at nine Sasuke is going to the hospital to get some tests done. He thinks you should meet Sasuke outside for nine at the hospital. Shikamaru said that you need to tell Sasuke how what you saw doesn't change anything."

"Why didn't Shikamaru come tell me himself?"

"He's busy with paperwork for Tsunade. I told him I would come and speak to you."

"But Tsunade and Kakashi told me to stay away from Sasuke. That Sasuke wasn't ready to see me yet."

"That was before, now Sasuke is scared that you hate him after what happened. He thinks that what you saw changed your opinion of him."

"That's crazy I don't think anything different of him."

"Then you should tell him that tonight at the hospital. Don't let anyone get in your way either Sasuke needs to know."

"Ok ya I'll go and speak to him. I'll get him to see that I don't think differently of him. Tell Shikamaru thanks for me."

"Just make sure you don't tell anyone that I told you this. I'm not really supposed to know and Shikamaru could get into trouble."

"Don't worry I won't."

"Good luck. I have to go and get ready for a mission."

"Okay see ya."

Chouji left Naruto's apartment and he was happy with the first part of his plan turning out. As long as Naruto didn't say anything then everything would be okay. Chouji knew that Naruto wouldn't say anything; Naruto was the type to never break a promise no matter what. Chouji really did have a mission tonight so he would be gone for a week and when he came back everything would go back to normal. Shikamaru would be spending his free time with him again and not with Sasuke who didn't deserve it. Chouji headed home to work on the next part of his plan to really seal the deal.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

It was eight o'clock when Itachi knocked on Sasuke's bedroom door and walked in. Sasuke was sitting up and reading one of the books. Sasuke looked up when he heard the door open to see that it was Itachi on the other side. Itachi came over closer to the bed as he spoke.

"It's eight we need to get leaving soon to meet Tsunade for nine at the hospital."

"What if we run into someone?" Sasuke asked softly.

"Then it's a good thing I am with you. Remember I'm not going anywhere. I will be there and Kakashi is going to come with us as well. I know you are upset with him, but he does care about you and he wants to make sure you are okay."

Sasuke looked down and thought about how he felt about that. He didn't know what to do about any of this. He didn't know how he felt about Kakashi being his father. Sure he knew he was upset and mad about it, but besides that he didn't know. He had been trying to figure that out over the last few hours, but he just didn't know. He was glad that no one else would know so he would have time to think about it and figure it out for himself.

"Will you be there for the tests?" Sasuke whispered.

"If you want me to be there, then I will. She is going to do a lot of the same tests growing up and I will make sure she does not do that one dye test."

"Thanks."

"It's going to be okay I promise. I'm sure you are perfectly fine, but it's good to get checked out to make sure. I promise if someone comes up to you on the way there I will put an end to it. I'm not going to let anyone hurt you or make you feel uncomfortable."

"What if I have another panic attack?"

"Then tell me when it is coming on and we will work on putting an end to it before it gets out of control. You can do this Sasuke. I know you can."

Sasuke just gave a nod and Itachi left so Sasuke could get ready to leave. He had about half an hour before they would need to leave so that gave Sasuke sometime to himself. He really didn't want to get these tests done and he really didn't want to be outside, but he knew he didn't have a choice. Sasuke figured he would finish this chapter then he would get changed to go. Itachi walked back out into the living room to see Kakashi pacing around.

"Relax Kakashi."

"Are you sure you want me to come? I can stay if it's easier for Sasuke."

"I told him you were coming and he didn't yell or argue about it. He's upset and mad, because those are the only two emotions he can tell right now. He doesn't know what he is feeling besides those two emotions. It's going to take some time for him to figure out how he is even feeling. Give him time. He's letting you come tonight so that is something."

"I just don't want him feeling pressured to let me be in his life as something more than a sensei. It has to be his choice and whatever he decides I will go with it."

"I know and in time he will come to you and ask you questions about it all. Just be honest with him and do your best to explain everything. For now he is going to get ready to go and then we can head out."

"Do you think he is ready to be outside right now?"

"I don't think he is, but we have no choice he needs to get these tests done. We can take it slow and see how it goes. I told him that if he started to get a panic attack to tell me and we would work through it. He's worried about running into someone. He's not ready to be around people yet, but he will get there. He needs to see that being outside isn't as bad as he thinks it is."

"Some things he is just going to have to jump in and do to overcome the fear of it. Hopefully nothing goes wrong tonight and he starts to feel better about being outside and moving around."

"He'll get there it's just going to take some time."

"Have you spoken to him about the three of us living together or just the two of you living together?"

"I haven't yet I will later and see how he feels about any of it."

"Ok"

Thirty minutes later Sasuke came out of the bedroom dressed in black pants, a t-shirt and a jacket. Itachi went over to Sasuke and just stood beside him as he walked. Itachi didn't want to help Sasuke too much, because his body needed to regain its strength. He was just going to be beside Sasuke in case he needed the help. Kakashi didn't say anything for now he thought it would be best if he was just off to the side and let Itachi take control of the situation. Sasuke didn't even look at Kakashi and Kakashi knew that Sasuke was still hurt and upset about everything. They all headed outside and in the direction of the hospital. Sasuke was still in a good amount of pain so they walked slowly. They weren't worried about being late Tsunade would understand that Sasuke was in pain from the movement. He didn't have much movement over the last few weeks, only to the bathroom and back to the bedroom. Sometimes he would be in the living room, but not for very long. Sasuke really wasn't a social person, but this had made him even less so. They knew they needed to get Sasuke moving around more or his muscle strength would never go back to normal. They were half way to the hospital when Itachi leaned in to whisper into Sasuke's ear.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm okay."

Sasuke sounded sure so Itachi let it go. He knew that Sasuke was in pain, but they couldn't stop yet. They were half way there and soon enough Sasuke would be able to lie down and relax and let the pain go back down to normal levels. They reached the hospital without any problems. They were just about to walk through the front doors when they heard Sasuke's name being yelled.

"Sasuke! Hey wait up!" Naruto yelled as he ran over to them.

Sasuke could feel the panic attack slowly starting to come on. Itachi stood move in front of Sasuke to make sure Naruto didn't get to him. Kakashi also stood closer in case Naruto needed to be removed. Kakashi was getting a little angry that Naruto would come running towards Sasuke. He was told to leave Sasuke alone and let him heal. He understood that they were young and this was a hard and difficult concept to understand. Most adults didn't understand how to handle this situation, but Kakashi couldn't let anyone make Sasuke worse.

"Naruto what are you doing here?" Kakashi asked with a serious tone to his voice.

"I'm here to see Sasuke. I was told he was too afraid to see me and I wanted to come by and let Sasuke know that it's okay."

"How did you know he was going to be here?" Itachi asked.

"Someone told me. Sasuke listen I don't care what happened. I mean it was horrible to watch, but it doesn't change how I feel about you."

"Who told you Naruto?" Kakashi asked.

"I can't say I promised I wouldn't and I never break a promise. Just like I promise that seeing you being raped and crying doesn't change how I feel about you Sasuke. You can't just hide from us. If I had known you wanted to see me I would have come by." Naruto said as he got closer to Sasuke.

Itachi didn't know what the hell was going on, but he knew he wasn't going to let anyone get too close to his brother. Itachi stepped in front of Sasuke to block Naruto from getting to him. Itachi could literally feel Sasuke's pain right now. Itachi knew that Sasuke was having a hard time with Naruto being here and talking about what happened. Itachi was furious, but he couldn't do anything to Naruto, he was just some dumb kid.

"Walk away." Itachi said with a deadly tone.

Naruto looked at Itachi and didn't know what to do. He had seen Itachi once before and he knew that he was dangerous. Naruto had heard that Itachi was back in the village, but he also knew that whether he was on a mission or not Itachi was dangerous.

"He's my teammate and friend. He wants to see me I was told that by someone that's been around Sasuke. I was told he had to come and get some tests so I figured I would come and be there to help Sasuke through this."

Kakashi could tell that Itachi was getting angrier by the second. Kakashi move so he was closer to Naruto just in case.

"Itachi take Sasuke inside." Kakashi said as he looked at Naruto.

Kakashi could tell that Itachi was thinking about it, but he knew he would go. Itachi could feel Sasuke's pain and panic and Itachi knew that he needed to get Sasuke away from Naruto and alone. Itachi gave one last look to Naruto before he turned and guided Sasuke inside. Kakashi turned to Naruto and did his best to keep his cool, but this was getting to the point where he was going to do something harsh. He had to keep his cool and try to get some information out of him.

"Naruto why would you be here?" Kakashi asked with a serious voice.

"I was told that Sasuke wanted to see me, but he was too afraid to come and see me. I was told he would be here to get some tests done so I decided to come and see him. What's the big deal?"

"Who told you that? Who told you that Sasuke would be here?"

"I can't tell you that. I promised I wouldn't and I'm not about to break a promise Kakashi-Sensei."

"You won't break a promise eh? But breaking the promise that you would leave Sasuke alone is okay?"

"He wanted to see me, but was too afraid that I thought differently of him. I just wanted to let him know that I don't."

"And you thought showing up at the hospital uninvited telling Sasuke that watching him being raped and crying doesn't change what you thought of him. You thought that would be the best way to go about doing this? Telling him things that will trigger his memory of what happened. How is that what was best?"

"Well he can't pretend like it didn't happen Kakashi-Sensei. He needs to hear it eventually. He wanted to see me and I wanted to let him know that I don't think differently of him."

"Naruto I am going to ask you this one last time. Who told you?"

"I can't tell you. I won't break that promise."

"You won't that promise eh? Fine until you learn the difference between keeping a promise and following an order. Consider yourself back into the academy. I'm sure you will speak to Iruka about this maybe he could help you understand."

"What! Kakashi-Sensei that's not fair! He wanted to see me!"

"No he didn't Naruto. While you are protecting someone that wanted to hurt Sasuke you remember that. He didn't want to see you. He doesn't want to see anyone and all you have done is manage to trigger memories and caused him to have a panic attack. If I were you I would think long and hard about protecting this friend you have. Until you learn the difference between right and wrong you will only ever see the walls of the academy."

Kakashi didn't say anymore or let Naruto even reply. He headed into the hospital and he knew Naruto wouldn't be stupid enough to follow him. Kakashi walked in and saw that Itachi was kneeled down on the floor in front of Sasuke who was sitting in a chair. Kakashi could see Itachi trying to calm Sasuke down. Sasuke was shaking and breathing quickly. Kakashi knew that Sasuke was having a panic attack and he went over to them but didn't stand too close to him.

"Its' okay little brother just slow your breathing down."

"His hands are everywhere. I can't…"

"Shh it's okay. He can't hurt you anymore Sasuke. I killed him, he's dead. You are safe I promise you little brother just breathe it will pass."

Sasuke's shaking was still pretty bad and Kakashi could see Tsunade on her way over to him. Tsunade was concerned with what was going on and she went right over to them.

"What happened?"

"Everything was fine until Naruto showed up out front. He started talking about what happened and said that someone told him that Sasuke wanted to see him." Kakashi explained.

"Who the hell told him that?" Tsunade answered with anger.

"The same person that told him that Sasuke was going to be here for the tests." Itachi said angrily.

"Did he say who told him?" Tsunade asked.

"He refused. Said he promised not to and he wouldn't break that promise." Kakashi said.

"Where is he? He's going to tell me." Tsunade said.

"He left after I told him he would be going back to the academy. I know that is your choice, but what he did caused this. That person did this on purpose. That person lied about Sasuke being too afraid of what Naruto thought of him. Told Naruto that Sasuke wanted to see him. Whoever did this; did this on purpose to hurt Sasuke and he won't tell me who that person was. I told Naruto until he learned what promises were important and what ones weren't he wouldn't be leaving the academy."

"I'll speak to him and he will tell me what happened."

Tsunade said as she went over to Sasuke to check on him.

"Sasuke I need to check your pulse. I know you know this is a panic attack and I need you to try and calm down." Tsunade said as she checked Sasuke's pulse on his wrist.

Sasuke's pulse was really fast, too fast for Tsunade's liking and she would need to get it back to normal range before he started to have problems.

"Sasuke I need you to calm down. Your pulse is too fast. I need you to calm down or I am going to have to give you something to calm you down. I would much rather you calm down on your own." Tsunade said in a serious voice.

Sasuke tried his best to calm down, but his mind was going crazy with images filling his mind. Sasuke's breathing still didn't slow down and Tsunade knew that he wouldn't be able to do it on his own. Tsunade went over to the nurses' station to get a sedative so Sasuke would calm down. When she came back Itachi was still trying to get Sasuke to calm down.

"Okay Sasuke I need to give you a sedative to calm you down. Your pulse is dangerously fast and you could be in some serious trouble. This won't put you to sleep it will just stop the panic attack and slow your pulse and breathing down."

"There was so much blood." Sasuke was shaking uncontrollably now and they all knew that he was lost in his own mind and memories.

Tsunade went and administered the sedative as Itachi kept talking.

"It's okay, it's over Sasuke. He's dead he can't hurt you. Just breathe through this and in a few minutes you'll feel better. Hang on little brother. It's going to be okay."

Kakashi didn't say anything he just watched as Itachi and Tsunade worked on Sasuke. Kakashi would normally have jumped in and taken control of the situation, but after what happened that morning Kakashi didn't know how Sasuke would react to him. They all watched as Sasuke's breathing slowly started to go back to normal as the sedative kicked in. After five minutes Sasuke was no longer shaking and his breathing was back down to normal.

"Let's go into a room and we can talk there." Tsunade said.

"Come on Sasuke."

Itachi said as he helped Sasuke stand up. The sedative had his body feeling a little weak, but at least he was able to breathe properly again. Kakashi followed behind them and when they got into an empty room Tsunade closed the door and Itachi had Sasuke sit back on the bed.

"Sasuke, how are you feeling?" Tsunade asked.

"I don't know." Sasuke said softly.

"Talk to me Sasuke. Let's figure this out." Itachi said as he sat down in the chair beside the bed.

"I'm confused. How did he know I was here? I thought only the four of us and Shikamaru knew about it?"

"That is the only people that know." Kakashi said.

"So if none of us told anyone, then the only answer is Shikamaru told Naruto. Why would he do that?" Sasuke asked anyone that had the answer.

"Sasuke I don't think Shikamaru did this. There must be some other explanation." Kakashi said.

"But what? He knew that I would be here tonight. None of us told anyone so it has to be him."

"I think we should talk to Shikamaru first. He doesn't seem like the type to go around telling people personal information. Someone could have overheard a conversation." Itachi said.

"We need to speak to Naruto and find out who told him. I will get an answer for you on this. For now let's do what we came here for. There are a few tests I need to run; I want to do an ultrasound on your heart to see how it is working. I also want to do an MRI on your lungs. There is also something called a dye test, I'm sure you have done this growing up."

"He's not doing that test." Itachi said.

"It's an important test that will give me the best look at his lungs and how they function." Tsunade said.

"He's not doing it. He did it growing up twice a year and every year for seven years I made him. It makes him sick for days afterwards and he is not doing it this time around." Itachi said as he looked directly at Tsunade.

"I obviously can't make Sasuke do any of these tests. I can't make him drink something. I will say that by not doing this test we won't have a complete understanding of his lungs. We could miss something." Tsunade said.

"I understand that and if any of the other tests show that something might be wrong we can discuss this again. For now I am not going to force him to take a test that will make him sick for days." Itachi said.

"Very well, but if something does come up that something could be wrong and I need a better look then we will need to do the test. Okay Sasuke?"

"Okay" Sasuke said softly.

"How long will the tests take?" Kakashi asked.

"About an hour for both tests. We can do the MRI first and while I am waiting for the results we can do the ultrasound on his heart. If the ultrasound shows some abnormalities then we will have to do more tests."

"Like what?" Itachi asked.

"An angiogram would be the next step. I would numb your body and insert this wire device. I will then insert that into your body up to your heart. Once the wire is inside your heart I will insert a dye that will flow through your heart and show how it works. This will help me see if there is a part of your heart that is not working properly, or if there is a leak in one of the arteries or veins. If there is something wrong with your heart this will tell us what it is. Once we know what it is then we can fix it. We don't need to be thinking about that right now though. That would only happen if the ultrasound showed me something that would be cause for concern. Realistically if there was something wrong with your heart you would have noticed by now."

"Like what?" Sasuke asked.

"Shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat, your heart beating so hard that it feels like it's pounding against your chest, light headedness, and unexplained exhaustion. Have you ever experienced any of those things?" Tsunade asked.

"All of them." Sasuke said.

"Why didn't you ever say anything? How long has this been happening?" Itachi asked.

"I don't know about three years now. It just started off slow and over time it became more often. I just figured it was from training too much and not sleeping and eating properly. I was training all the time and I wasn't really taking good care of myself. I thought it was normal." Sasuke explained.

"Okay well the ultrasound will tell us more about it. It is possible that you just naturally have an irregular heartbeat. A lot more people than you would think are born with an irregular heartbeat. Your heart is an electrical circuit. Some people just have an extra beat within the circuit. I have had patients that were fifty years old and had it their whole life and never even knew it. Some go their whole life and never know it; some people go their whole life dealing with the side effects. Everything you have felt can be the side effects of a natural irregular heartbeat. So we don't need to panic just yet, let's see what the ultrasound shows. I will be able to see your heart working so if there is a structural reason behind the irregular beats I will see it."

"If it is just a natural irregular heartbeat is there something that can be done about the side effects?" Kakashi asked.

"We can try a prescription to help with the side effects. It would essentially slow his heartbeat down so that the extra beat wouldn't happen. The medication itself can have side effects the most common is lowering blood pressure, which can make you dizzy. There are a bunch of different prescriptions you could take and if that is the case we can do a little trial and error until we get the right one."

"So it's nothing major." Itachi said.

"Not at all. This type of thing can just randomly appear. Like I said some people go for years a never notice and one day it starts to bother them. As doctors we can't explain it, but we can help manage it."

"Well that's good at least." Kakashi said.

"Let's go and do the MRI and then we can check your heart out." Tsunade said.

Sasuke got off the bed and Kakashi and Itachi followed Tsunade down the hall to where they would get the MRI. They went down to another floor and they came to the door that stated 'no one beyond this point.'

"Sasuke you are going to come in with me and I am going to get you into the machine. Have you had an MRI before?"

Sasuke just gave a nod.

"Okay let's go. Itachi and Kakashi you have to wait out here. You can't be around the machine while it is on."

"If possible I would like to stay with you. I used to growing up stay in the room with the doctor. He used to get a little claustrophobic growing up." Itachi said.

"I don't usually, but sure you can be there. You need to stay in the little room though for safety reasons." Tsunade said.

"I understand." Itachi said.

"Okay you can go through that door and I will be there in a minute. Sasuke you can come with me and we will get you in the machine."

Itachi looked at Kakashi to make sure he was alright with staying out here. Kakashi gave a nod and Itachi went into the small room where the computer was. Kakashi understood that Sasuke wanted Itachi to be there for him while he was going through the tests. Tsunade took Sasuke into the room where the MRI was.

"Do you have any metal on you at all Sasuke?"

"No"

"Okay I need you to take off your jacket and then lie down on the table and I will get you set up."

Sasuke knew what was going to happen; he had done this many times before. He took off his jacket and Tsunade took it from him. Sasuke got onto the hard white table and Tsunade placed the plastic cover around his head.

"Are you ready?"

Sasuke just gave a nod and Tsunade hit the button to make the table slide into the machine. Tsunade then went through the glass doors in the room so she would be with Itachi where all of the computers were located. She sat down in the one chair and allowed Itachi took Sasuke's jacket and sat in the other chair.

"This button is connected to the microphone and the speaker inside the machine. You can talk to Sasuke and Sasuke can hear you and talk back. I need him to stay as still as possible to get the best picture of his lungs."

Tsunade was doing a few things on the computer before she started the processes.

"Are you ready?" Itachi asked.

"I am"

Itachi hit the button to speak into the microphone to Sasuke.

"Okay little brother Tsunade is going to start. Remember you need to stay as still as possible in there. If you start to feel any panic let me know and we can talk through it. Just stay as still as possible and this will be over faster."

"Ok" Sasuke whispered.

Tsunade kept loading and taking pictures of different things. Itachi didn't know what she was doing or what she was seeing. He didn't know if anything was coming up as a negative or if everything was a positive. It was a good twenty minutes and over the course of that time Itachi had to talk to Sasuke a few times to get him to stay calm. Sasuke really didn't like this machine from growing up so it was harder on him now that he was older. He knew that he shouldn't be afraid of the machine, but he had been in it so many times when he was little he couldn't help it. Sasuke made sure he did his best not to move, because then he would be out of the machine sooner. He did his best to keep his breathing even and normal. It was finally twenty minutes later when Itachi's voice came over the machine one last time.

"Okay that's it little brother you did good."

Sasuke let out a breath that he didn't even know he was holding. Tsunade came back into the room and hit the button to make the table come back out. She took off the head piece and Sasuke got up. The three of them headed back out into the hallway to find Kakashi still standing in the same spot.

"How did it go?" Kakashi asked.

"The results are being printed. Once the ultrasound is complete I should have the pictures. Once the pictures are printed off I will have a better chance at looking at them. I didn't see anything to give me any concern, but I might have missed something that I won't see until it is in my hands. So for now let's head down the hall and into the ultrasound room where I will ultrasound your heart." Tsunade said.

She was trying to make this easy for Sasuke. She knew that children that went through extensive testing growing up had problems with hospitals when they get older. It was understandable considering how much time they would have spent in a hospital to develop this hatred and almost fear for them. Sasuke didn't like these tests and he almost feared them, because it happened so many times growing up. Tsunade was hoping that everything would be fine. They went into the room and again Kakashi waited out in the hallway. He obviously would have liked to be in there, but he knew that he needed to give Sasuke time and space with everything.

"Okay Sasuke have you had an ultrasound done before?"

"No"

"They never did one growing up?" Tsunade asked Itachi.

"No they always said his heart sounded fine. They were more concerned about his lungs. Growing up there were many times when his oxygen levels went low and he had blue lips and fingernails. They did a lot of tests on his lungs to keep a close eye on them."

"Okay well hop up on the bed right there and I will explain what is going to happen. I'm going to need your shirt off so I can get to your heart."

Itachi went and stood by the bed while Sasuke took his shirt off. Tsunade grabbed the machine and moved it closer to the bed. She then sat down on the stool.

"So here is how it works. I am going to put this gel that is probably cold on your chest where your heart is. I am then going to use this wand to look at your heart through your chest. It's going to show up on this screen here where I can do things to the picture to get different angles of your heart. This won't hurt at all and I will be able to see how your heart is working. Do you have any questions?"

"No"

Tsunade looked over at Itachi and he shook his head.

"Alright let's get started then."

Tsunade grabbed the gel and squeezed some onto Sasuke's chest over his heart. It was cold but Sasuke didn't say anything. This was a completely new test for him and he had to admit he was curious as to how this would work. He couldn't imagine someone being able to look at your heart with just a wand and gel. Tsunade grabbed the wand and started to look at Sasuke's heart. She moved it around to get a good angle and picture on the screen. These results she would be able to get right away so she would know if something was wrong or not. Sasuke and Itachi looked at the screen and both couldn't believe that they were actually looking at Sasuke's heart.

"Is that my heart?" Sasuke asked.

"It is. Pretty cool eh?"

"How is that possible?" Sasuke asked.

"It is an oscillating pressure sound wave. It has an extremely high frequency that allows me to see inside your chest. We use it for women that are pregnant to see their baby. Most people think that is the only use for them, but as you can see we can see through any part of your body. This allows me to see your heart structure and how it is formed. Now you were premature so it's natural for your heart to be formed differently or be smaller than the average person. They should have done this when you were younger as well."

"Why didn't they?" Itachi asked.

"I'm not sure. I can understand the need to keep checking his lungs. However, the breathing and blue tint could have come from his heart."

Tsunade moved the image around and enlarged some parts. Itachi could tell that she was focused on this one part of Sasuke's heart and that had Itachi worried. After ten minutes of being on the same spoke Tsunade spoke.

"Hm"

"What does hm mean?" Itachi asked.

"I'm just going to switch this to an echocardiogram here for a minute."

"What is that?" Sasuke asked.

"It's something that allows me to see how the circuit of your heart is working." Tsunade hit a button and different colors showed on the screen. "You see the blue and red will allow me to see the blood flow and your heart beat patterns."

"You must have seen something to make you want to check what it is." Itachi said.

"Let me do the tests and when I am done I will let you know. It could be nothing."

"But it could be something." Sasuke said.

"Your heart is premature Sasuke so there are many things different with it. That doesn't mean they are bad things. I just have to be very careful and check everything."

"It'll be fine little brother. Let's not waste our time worrying about nothing right now. If it turns out to be something then we will work through it."

Sasuke looked over at Itachi and he found comfort that he was here. It was another tense thirty minutes before Tsunade took the wand off Sasuke's chest. She placed it back into the holder and grabbed a cloth to wipe Sasuke's chest off.

"What did you find?" Itachi asked.

"I need a few minutes to go over everything. You can get your shirt and jacket back on and head back to the room. I will be up shortly once I review the test results."

"Did you find something?" Itachi asked.

"I don't know yet. Like I said Sasuke's heart is different I need some time to look at the results and see if it is a normal different or not."

Tsunade got up off the stool and grabbed the pictures she printed out from the ultrasound. Sasuke got up and put his shirt and jacket back on. He didn't know if Tsunade found anything or not, but he could tell she wasn't going to talk anymore about it until she checked the results of both tests. Itachi helped Sasuke stand up from the bed. Sasuke's body was stiff and sore from the walk over here. They all headed out of the room and Kakashi was pacing back and forth in the hallway. Kakashi stopped when he heard the door open. He turned to see Tsunade, Itachi and Sasuke walk out of the room. Kakashi could tell by the look on Itachi's face that he was worried.

"What happened?" Kakashi asked.

"Nothing yet. I need to go over all the results so the three of you head back to the room upstairs and I will look at the results and come and speak to you." Tsunade said.

"Did you find something?" Kakashi asked.

"When I know something I will tell you. All of you just relax like I said it could be nothing. Sasuke's heart is smaller than it should be and as such certain things will be different. I need some quiet time to look at the images I took. Now please go and wait upstairs in the room."

"Come on Sasuke let's go back to the room." Itachi said.

Kakashi, Itachi and Sasuke walked back down the hall and up another floor until they arrived at the room they were in earlier. Sasuke went and sat on the bed and leaned back. He was exhausted from all the movement and he was in pain from the walk over here. Kakashi and Itachi each sat on opposite sides of the bed in the chairs.

"Did she say anything?" Kakashi asked.

"No for half an hour she was quiet. She did say she was going to do an echocardiogram and she hit a button and these blue and red colors showed up on the screen. She didn't say if anything was wrong or not." Itachi said.

"She didn't say I was fine either." Sasuke mumbled.

"Everything is going to be okay Sasuke." Kakashi said.

"You don't know that. What if something is wrong? What if I need a new heart or I'm sick?"

"Then we will work through it just like we always have. Remember we did this when you were younger and your kidney failed. You were sick and in pain, but we got you through it. We will get through this."

"We got through it, because you gave me a kidney. You can't give me a heart or a lung. What if I have to be stuck in the hospital for months waiting for a new organ to come?"

"Sasuke you can't think like this just yet. Tsunade didn't say much, but she also isn't rushing you into surgery so that's a good thing. Don't think too far ahead just yet. Everything could be fine. Keep in mind your heart is smaller than Tsunade is used to seeing so it's going to take her a little extra time to make sure everything is working right. Try and stay positive for now until we know more." Kakashi said.

Sasuke looked at Kakashi and asked him what he had been wondering since they got to the hospital.

"Why are you here?" Sasuke asked softly almost as if he was afraid of the answer.

"Because I care about you." Kakashi answered honestly.

"But you didn't growing up." Sasuke stated softly.

"No, that's not true. Sasuke I didn't know. I didn't know about any of it. I was young and your mother told me that you were Fugaku's when she was six months pregnant. It was the first time I even found out she was pregnant. I was young and I believed her. I know that's no excuse for any of it. I do regret not doing something back then to find out for sure. If I had known what happened to you I would have stepped in to try and stop it. Whether you were mine or not I wouldn't have ignored it. I should have fought for a DNA, but I didn't. I'll always regret it until the day I die. Sasuke if I had known you wouldn't have gone through what you did. I would have made sure of it."

"So why now? Why after thirteen years did you do a test?"

"Because of what you said about your childhood. The way Fugaku acted towards you made me wonder if that was the reason. I know I was just your sensei, but I cared about you more than Naruto and Sakura. I still do. Whether you were mine or not wasn't going to change that. I see you and I can't help, but think of all the things we missed doing together. All of your firsts, all of the medical tests; everything that Itachi did to keep you alive. That should have been me. I can't change the past, but I would really like to change the future. I know this isn't easy for you and it's a lot to take in. I still care about you and I can't tell you how happy I am that you are my son. I can't tell you how proud I am of you and everything you survived. I would like for there to be a more in depth relationship between us, but that is for you decide for when you are ready to decide. I'm still going to be here though. For doctor appointments; for getting you through all of this. I'm not going anywhere no matter how hard you try to push me away. You are stuck with me even if I am just your sensei."

"I just need time to figure it out. I'm not saying no, but I just need some time."

"Take all the time you need. I'm not going anywhere."

"How long do you think it will take?" Sasuke asked either one.

"I'm not sure. Why don't you try to sleep while we wait?" Itachi suggested.

"I can't sleep."

"Do you still want to speak to Tsunade about a sleeping pill medication?" Kakashi asked.

"Oh ya I forgot about that." Sasuke said.

"Do you still feel like you would like to be on one?" Itachi asked.

"Will it make the nightmares stop?"

"It tends to yes." Itachi said.

"Then yes I would."

"You know Sasuke this would only be a temporary fix. You can't avoid the nightmares forever." Kakashi said gently.

"I know, but I'm just not ready yet."

"And there's nothing wrong with that. We can speak to Tsunade and see what she says about it." Itachi said.

"What's going to happen to Naruto?" Sasuke asked Kakashi.

"Tsunade will speak to him and she will decide if he should continue being an active ninja or not. It's not that he made the promise it's that, that person told him a lie on purpose to hurt you. For whatever that person's reasons are he or she did it on purpose. The fact that I told Naruto that and he still refused to break his promise is what concerns me. Its' one thing to keep a promise that is protecting someone that deserves it. It's another thing to keep a promise to protect someone that did something to hurt someone. The second Naruto found out this person's true intentions he should have told me who they were. He didn't and that gives Tsunade and myself some worry. If Naruto doesn't know the difference between right and wrong at his age then that calls into question his maturity level and whether he is responsible enough for this job. Being a ninja is a very serious job. He can't be keeping promises from someone that is doing something to hurt someone else. If Naruto doesn't know the difference then he can't be an active ninja. He could put the village at risk and innocent people in danger." Kakashi said.

"But why would he do this? He knows the difference between right and wrong. He talks about it all the time. So why is he doing this?" Sasuke asked.

"I don't know Sasuke. I wish I knew what is going on so I could give you answers. I will find out what is going on though I promise you that." Kakashi said.

"What if he's protecting someone we know?" What if Shikamaru did tell him?" Sasuke said.

"I really don't see Shikamaru doing that. He cares about you and he wants a friendship with you. I can't see him telling Naruto lies about you wanting to see him and about the tests. That doesn't seem like something he would do." Itachi said.

"How else would Naruto have known? Even if someone else told him there are only five of us that knew I was going to be here. If the four of us didn't tell anyone then that only leaves Shikamaru. Maybe he told someone and they told Naruto." Sasuke said.

"We won't know what happened until we speak to Naruto and to Shikamaru. Don't make assumptions until you have all the information." Kakashi said.

The door to the hospital room opened and in walked Tsunade with a file in her hand. She went over to the bed and stood beside Itachi so she was close enough to Sasuke.

"Okay Sasuke I am going to explain something to you and it's very complicated. So I need you to try and follow what I am telling you. If you get lost or have a question please ask me and I will explain further. Alright?"

"Okay" Sasuke said with some fear in his voice.

"Your lungs came up clean. There is no damage from the pneumonia which is good. They are slightly under developed, but it's nothing to worry about just yet. If you are going to continue being a ninja then as your body gets bigger and more developed then your lungs will need to work harder to pump enough oxygen into your body. By the time you are sixteen you might not physically be able to be a ninja without a lung transplant. Does anyone have any questions about that?"

"So if he does wish to continue being a ninja when would we need to put Sasuke on the transplant list?" Kakashi asked.

"It usually takes a year or so. He's younger so he goes closer to the top of the list. It also depends on blood type. Sasuke has a relatively rare blood type so it can take a little longer." Tsunade said.

"If he decides to not be a ninja will he still need the transplant down the line?" Itachi asked.

"That is something we would need to monitor. With not being a ninja then the physical requirements would be different, because he wouldn't be traveling on missions and constantly training. His lungs will still work harder with his body getting bigger and the need for oxygen increases. I would say to be on the safe side when he turns seventeen or even sixteen he should be on the list. If you wish to continue being a ninja then by the time you are fifteen you should be on the list. If you decide that you want to be a ninja then once you come to that decision we can add you to the list right away. There wouldn't be a point in waiting when we know you need it done."

"So my lungs are fine for now so then something must be wrong with my heart." Sasuke said.

"Your heart is smaller than the average person, but we all already know that from you being so premature. You have a congenital heart disease called Pulmonary Valve Stenosis. This is something you were born with and it would be connected to you being so premature."

"Okay so what is that?" Itachi asked.

"This is where it might get complicated." Tsunade pulled out a piece of paper from her file. It was a picture of two hearts. "This is a normal healthy heart. Right here is the right ventricle. The ventricles in your heart helps the flow of blood throughout your body. The right ventricle leads the blood to the pulmonary artery, which helps blood flow to your lungs and that helps with oxygen levels. PVS is when the passage from the right ventricle to the pulmonary artery is too thin. So here is passage the blood would take, this right here." Tsunade said as she pointed to a small path that connected the two. "This is how it is supposed to be. It's not very big, but it is big enough to let the right amount of blood through." She then pointed to the other diagram of the heart with PVS" This is what your heart looks like roughly. Do you see the same path is much thinner and closed off? That makes it harder for the right amount of blood to flow through. It would also be why growing up you would have had blue lips or tinted fingernails. It would also be why your heart is pumping blood so hard. When you were little it would have only been a mild case, because of your size. Once you started to get bigger and training more the exercise would have pushed this disease into overdrive. It went from being mild to severe. You would have seen signs of this growing up and the idiot doctors should have noticed the signs and done the proper tests. Did you ever notice any swelling of his stomach?" Tsunade asked Itachi.

"The doctor said it was from his liver and that it was normal for a premature baby."

"It would have been caused by the PVS. One of the symptoms is an enlarged liver. It also can cause blue tints to lips and nails. It can cause swelling in the legs. It can also make a person faint or become very dizzy after exercise. Did you ever experience any of that Sasuke?"

"I thought it was my lungs from working out too much. I never noticed any swelling though. Are you sure this is something I have?" Sasuke asked.

"I'm positive. Even though your heart is smaller the passage from the right ventricle and the pulmonary artery is still too small even for your heart."

"So what do we do about this?" Kakashi asked.

"It is fixable with a small procedure that we can do tonight. I wouldn't need to put you to sleep you can be awake and I will numb your body so you don't feel anything. Remember Sasuke when I was talking about the angiogram and how that works?"

"Yes"

"Well the solution for PVS is very similar to that. What I would do is insert a balloon catheter. I would make small incision just underneath your ribcage. I would then take the balloon catheter and attach that to a clip that I would use to weave it through your chest and into your heart. The catheter would be placed in the passage between your right ventricle and your pulmonary artery. Once it is in place I will then inflate the balloon so it opens that passage more. This will allow the right amount of blood to flow through and it should fix the side effects from the PVS. That will always remain inside of you and we will make sure we check that it is in the right place every six months. It will take me about an hour to do the procedure. Once the procedure is complete I will keep you until morning then you can go back home."

"Are there any side effects from this procedure?" Itachi asked.

"No there isn't. It's very simple and it's very advanced. Like I said you will be awake for it and you can watch what I am doing on the monitor. You can have one or both of them with you Sasuke. It's very simple and safe. Before we had this procedure we used to have to go into a full surgery and open a person's chest and cut into their heart. Now we just do this through a wire. I want to keep you until morning to make sure that everything is working properly. I have no concerns that something might happen what so ever."

"So this procedure will fix the problem forever?" Sasuke asked slightly confused.

"It will. I want to check it every six months, because as you get older and bigger it could shift and we might have to adjust it. However, this will work right away. You'll notice that you will start to feel better right away. There are no side effects or anything like that. All I would ask is you spend three days resting and not moving around a whole lot, because of the incision to your side. We still don't want you to get an infection of any kind."

"So we do this now?" Sasuke asked.

"We would go upstairs where the procedure would be. I would go up first and get everything ready and then a nurse would come down to get you. It will take me about twenty minutes to set everything up. I will need you to put on a hospital shirt, but you can keep those pants on. It will take roughly an hour to do the whole procedure and then you will be moved back down here where you can just sleep the night away."

"That was also something we wanted to discuss with you. We were wondering about a prescription for sleeping pills." Itachi said.

"Right we spoke very little about this the other day. Sasuke have you thought about it at all?"

"I have."

"And you know that it would only be temporary. I'm not going to allow you to be on them for more than six months. I don't want your body depending on them. It will also push the nightmares back."

"I know it's only temporary. I just can't keep seeing it yet. I know one day I have to I just can't do it yet."

"That's okay as long as you understand that it is only temporary then that's fine with me. I can prescribe you a small dosage of one and we can see how it affects you. Most don't have side effects, but there are the occasional ones that came come up without warning."

"Like?"

"Being tired more, irritable, loss of appetite and headaches could happen. They aren't common with sleeping pills, but they can happen."

"Okay we can keep an eye on those things." Kakashi said.

"Alright does anyone have any questions before I go and set up the procedure?"

"Sasuke do you understand what is going to happen?" Itachi asked.

"I think so. It's going to make me better so I guess I don't need to understand everything about how it works as long as it works."

"I think we're good then." Itachi said.

"Alright" Tsunade moved over to one of the cabinets and pulled out a hospital shirt. She went back over to the bed and placed it down on the end of the bed. "I need you to change your shirt into this one. Then a nurse will come and get you when it's time. It should be about twenty minutes. Alright?"

"Ok"

"Okay I will see you shortly."

Tsunade left the room and closed the door behind her. The room was silent as they all processed what they had just learned. They just found out that Sasuke had a congenital heart disease for all of these years and no one even noticed it. All of the tests and doctors over the years never paid attention to Sasuke's heart enough to notice this. Itachi was furious that this went undiagnosed for so many years. This could have been fixed when Sasuke was little, but now it had to be done when Sasuke was still injured after being tortured by Orochimaru. Sasuke was the one to break the silence.

"Are you going to be there?" Sasuke asked Kakashi.

"I would like to be in there with you and Itachi. Do you want me to be there?"

Sasuke looked down and gave a nod.

"Then I'll be there beside you with your brother. It's going to be okay Sasuke. This procedure will make you feel better. That's a good thing."

"I'm mad that no one noticed it growing up or bothered to check his heart properly. We could have fixed this years ago. Maybe this will make you have more energy and you can move around more." Itachi said.

"Maybe. I guess we'll find out."

"It is going to be okay. Tsunade is the best medic and you know that. She'll explain everything and you won't feel anything. You don't have to be scared little brother. Kakashi and I will be there to make sure nothing bad will happen."

Sasuke just gave a distant nod. They both knew that Sasuke needed time to understand and process everything. Sasuke moved to take his jacket off and Itachi grabbed it from him. Sasuke then took his shirt off and his body was sore from walking around so much. Itachi took Sasuke's t-shirt and folded it and placed it down on top of Sasuke's jacket that he placed on the bedside table. Sasuke then put on the hospital issued shirt and he sat back. Itachi and Kakashi shared a look that told the other to be quiet. Sasuke needed some time to think about everything that he had just learned. Itachi and Kakashi kept quiet and let Sasuke think in peace. Roughly twenty minutes later a nurse came into the room to bring them up to the procedure room. She was full of smiles and Sasuke couldn't even tell you how he got up to the next floor. He didn't remember anything he was so lost in his mind. They all walked into the room where the procedure would happen and Tsunade was there waiting for them.

"Come on in. Sasuke I need you to be up on this table please." Tsunade said.

Itachi and Kakashi went off to the side of the table so they wouldn't be in the way. Sasuke went over to the table and laid down on it.

"Itachi you can come up by his head if you want." Tsunade said.

Itachi moved so he was closer to his brother. He stood at the top of Sasuke's head and he placed his hands on Sasuke's shoulder. Kakashi stood closer so Sasuke would feel him being there. Kakashi was surprised that Sasuke wanted him there, but he was going to take what he could get.

"Now Sasuke do you want me to explain what I am doing before I do it or do you just want me to do it?" Tsunade asked.

"Just do it." Sasuke said softly.

"Alright."

Tsunade put on gloves and she grabbed the needle that would numb Sasuke's body for the next hour and a half. She injected the needle and waited a few minutes for it to work. She touched Sasuke in a few different spots and when Sasuke said he couldn't feel anything she started. She attached small circular pads onto Sasuke's chest so she could monitor his heartbeat and heart rate. She took a paper sheet and covered Sasuke's body after she moved the hospital shirt up. She left Sasuke's right side exposed so she could make the incision into Sasuke's side. Once she was ready and everything was set up she grabbed the scalpel and made the incision into Sasuke's side so she could insert the wire and the balloon catheter. With the incision made she then went to work on inserting the balloon catheter. Itachi kept his hands on Sasuke's shoulders even though he couldn't feel them. Throughout the hour both Kakashi and Itachi told Sasuke that he was doing great and everything would be fine. Sasuke just kept staring up into the ceiling and waited for everything to be over. It was finally an hour and ten minutes when Tsunade was finished.

"Okay Sasuke that is it. I'm going to stitch your side up and then you can go back to the room. You did great and now you should start to feel better real soon."

Tsunade grabbed the needle and thread and started to stitch the incision closed. Once that was done she put a small piece of gauze over it to protect it from being infected. Once that was done she removed the paper sheet and the heartbeat pads. She put Sasuke's shirt back down and she took her gloves off.

"Alright the nurse is going to come in and take you back to your room in a wheelchair, because you can't move when you are numb. It will wear off though within the next twenty minutes. I only gave you enough for the procedure. I will check on you throughout the night and make sure you are doing okay. In the morning as long as you don't have any infection you can go back home."

"Ok" Sasuke said.

He was exhausted and they could all see that. Tsunade hit the nurse button so the nurse would know to come in with the wheelchair. A nurse came into the room with a wheelchair and went over to the table. Itachi went over to Sasuke and picked him up bridal style and placed him down in the chair.

"If I wasn't numb I would yell at you for that." Sasuke mumbled.

"But you are numb and you can't walk for another twenty minutes." Itachi said with a smile.

"Back to the room Tsunade-Sama?" The nurse asked.

"Yes thank-you."

"Thank you Tsunade-Sama." Kakashi said.

"I just did my job."

Tsunade continued to clean up the mess that she made from the procedure. The nurse took Sasuke out of the room followed by Kakashi and Itachi. They got back to the room and Itachi picked Sasuke up once again and placed him down on the bed. Sasuke gave him a small glare, but Itachi was used to it. The nurse left and Sasuke leaned back in the bed. It was almost eleven at night and Sasuke was tried a long time ago. Sasuke was fighting to stay awake. Itachi and Kakashi sat in a chair on opposite sides of the bed. Itachi went and pushed the button to lower the back of the bed so Sasuke could lie down properly.

"Go to sleep little brother." Itachi said softly.

Kakashi pulled the blanket and put it over Sasuke and Sasuke couldn't fight the exhaustion anymore. He knew he wouldn't sleep for very long before the nightmares came, but for now he could at least sleep for a little while. Itachi and Kakashi sat back in their chairs and they knew that tonight would be a long night. It wouldn't be too long before Sasuke woke up to nightmares. For now they would wait for when the nightmares started and just let Sasuke sleep.

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The night had been a long one. Sasuke had woken up at one in the morning from a nightmare and he refused to go back to sleep for the rest of the night. Both Kakashi and Itachi tried to get Sasuke to sleep and after a while Sasuke closed his eyes, but he didn't sleep. He only closed his eyes to make Kakashi and Itachi shut up. Tsunade had come in at eight in the morning with a prescription for a sleeping pill for Sasuke. She explained everything about the prescription and told Sasuke to take one pill when he was ready for bed and it would last for nine hours. Tsunade checked Sasuke's incision and was happy with its healing so far so she discharged Sasuke. They took it slow on the way home, because Sasuke was still in pain and would need to take a pain pill when they got home. They were all thankful for the fact that they didn't run into anyone that wanted to talk to Sasuke or that Sasuke knew. They got back to the house and Sasuke saw the paper on the front step so he picked it up. They walked in and Sasuke looked down to see the headline article and he stopped frozen in the living room. Itachi and Kakashi turned to look at Sasuke and saw that he was shaking and staring at the newspaper. They both went over to Sasuke to see what he was looking at.

"Sasuke?" Itachi asked as he went to look at the paper.

Itachi instantly felt rage going through his body. There on the front page was the headline article stating 'Orphan Uchiha is Hatake Kakashi's Bastard Son.' Kakashi took the paper from Sasuke and opened the paper fully so he could see the whole article. Itachi went to work on Sasuke.

"Sasuke you need to breathe."

"That bastard." Sasuke whispered with hurt and anger in his voice.

"Sasuke we don't know who did this." Itachi said.

"Who else could it be? He knew where I was last night and he knew about this. Now it's in the paper so everyone will know. It's just one more thing that has been taken from me. Now I don't get the choice on if I want anyone to know. All because I trusted someone. I never want to see that bastard again." Sasuke said as he went into the bathroom. Sasuke slammed the door out of anger.

He couldn't believe how much this hurt. He trusted Shikamaru, he thought they were friends. He thought this was his first friend he has ever had. He thought Shikamaru was different only he was just trying to gain his trust to hurt him. Sasuke had never felt this upset before. He wasn't that angry he was hurt and he felt betrayed all over again. Sasuke didn't know what to do to calm down and make this feeling go away. Then he saw something shinny in the mirror and Sasuke turned around. Behind the one shampoo bottle was a kunai that Kakashi has just in case. In that moment Sasuke remember the book he was reading. Sasuke slowly went over to the shower and grabbed the kunai. He turned it a few times in his hands and thought about it. He couldn't understand how causing pain to himself would make him feel better, but at this point he was willing to try anything. Sasuke placed the kunai blade against his left wrist and he took a deep breath in before he slid the blade across his wrist. He did it deep enough to cut and make it bleed, but not deep enough to require stitches. Sasuke couldn't believe how he felt afterwards. He actually did feel better and he didn't understand why, but he did. Sasuke did it again underneath that one and again he felt even better. Sasuke did it three more times so there were five red and bleeding cuts along his left wrist. Sasuke placed the kunai down on the sink and just let himself feel this feeling for a little while longer. He closed his eyes and actually could feel himself feeling better. Finally after what Sasuke figured was ten minutes Sasuke washed his wrist and then washed the kunai and put it back where he found it. He came out of the bathroom and went straight into his bedroom and closed the door. He had his sleeping pills in his pocket, but he didn't take one. He went over to the bed once he changed into a pair of shorts and crawled into bed. He closed his eyes and let the good feeling take over into the dream world.


	27. Chapter 27

Itachi and Kakashi were looking at each other in the living room. Kakashi was holding the newspaper in his hands and he couldn't believe that someone would put this out there for everyone to see. Sasuke was upset and furious at Shikamaru and they both couldn't blame him. The problem was they didn't know if it was Shikamaru that said something or not. It could have been leaked some other way. The problem was they had to figure out who was behind all of this and how they found out. It was going to be all over the Village now and that was something Sasuke wasn't ready for. He didn't even know if he wanted Kakashi to be something more in his life than just a sensei. He didn't even know if he wanted to continue being a ninja or not. Now all of this was happening to him and he just wasn't able to handle it.

"Do you think he did this?" Itachi asked.

"I've known Shikamaru since he was little. He's strategic and lazy. He wouldn't do this to Sasuke. Shikamaru has been the only other person besides us that has come to see Sasuke. They've become close friends. Sasuke trusts Shikamaru to the point where he let Neji be here with them. Shikamaru knows how dangerous Sasuke's mind is to breaking at any given point. He wouldn't do this to him. He wouldn't tell anyone."

"So then who did? Obviously this has something to do with Naruto showing up at the hospital. So who has it in for Sasuke that they would want to do this?"

"I don't know. If you weren't here in the village I would say a lot of people, but you are in the village and everyone knows that. Anyone that was thinking about hurting Sasuke would have changed their minds once you showed up."

"Well someone obviously has it in for my little brother."

There was a knock at the door and they both knew by the charka signature that it was Shikamaru. Kakashi went over to the door and opened it letting Shikamaru into his home. Shikamaru was also holding a paper and he was clearly upset and angry about it.

"What the hell is this?" Shikamaru asked with anger in his voice.

"The work of someone very stupid." Itachi said.

"It's all over the village. Everyone is talking about it. How could this have possibly gotten out?" Shikamaru asked.

"We don't know. There were only five people who knew. Sasuke, Itachi, Tsunade and myself didn't tell anyone. Did you?" Kakashi asked.

"No I didn't tell anyone. I would never do that to Sasuke. My own parents don't even know what's going on. Whatever you tell me or Sasuke tells me I keep it to myself." Shikamaru said seriously.

"We didn't think you had anything to do with it, but we had to ask." Itachi said.

"Does Sasuke think I did?"

"Sasuke is very confused right now and he doesn't know what to believe or who to believe. He knows that the four of us never said anything and you were the only other person that was told. It also doesn't help that Naruto showed up last night out front of the hospital." Kakashi said.

"Naruto? Why was he there?" Shikamaru asked.

"Someone told him that Sasuke would be there getting tests done. That same person also said that Sasuke wanted to see Naruto, but was afraid of what Naruto thought of him." Itachi explained.

"Is Sasuke okay?" Shikamaru asked with concern.

"He had a panic attack and Tsunade had to give him a sedative to calm him down." Itachi said.

"So whoever told Naruto that must be the same person who did this. What did Naruto say?" Shikamaru asked.

"He refused to tell me. He said that he gave this person a promise and he wouldn't break it. Even after I told him that by what this person did it hurt Sasuke." Kakashi said.

"What do you mean he wouldn't tell you? Who cares if he made a promise to the person, obviously this person's intentions were false and hurtful." Shikamaru said.

"You know Naruto he believes that nothing is stronger than a promise. I will be going to speak to Tsunade and have her bring Naruto down to her office. I will get the person's name." Kakashi said.

"This author must have information about this, either from in person or in a letter. I'll go and pay him a visit." Itachi said.

"I'll go. You both shouldn't be leaving Sasuke alone. We don't know what this article will do to the village. Someone could come after Sasuke to get back at Kakashi." Shikamaru said.

"Can you get the information out of him?" Itachi asked.

"Maybe not as fast as you could, but I will. People don't instantly fear me, but I can still get the job done." Shikamaru said.

"Fine. I will stay with Sasuke." Itachi said.

"Did either of you talk about this with each other outside or with Tsunade outside?" Shikamaru asked.

"No." Itachi answered.

"I spoke to Tsunade in the office yesterday morning." Kakashi said starting to understand where Shikamaru was going with this.

"Someone must have overheard the conversation." Itachi said.

"Great I just get Sasuke to speak to me and now this is happening, because of a conversation I had with Tsunade." Kakashi said.

"Sasuke will understand and come to terms with this. He had a long night last night." Itachi said.

"What happened with the tests?" Shikamaru asked.

"He didn't have to do the dye test and Tsunade checked his lungs they were fine. If he continues to be a ninja he will need to have a lung transplant. His lungs are not big enough to handle the stress that it will put on his body." Itachi said.

"Will he need one if he doesn't continue to be a ninja?" Shikamaru asked.

"He will, but at an older age. It would depend on how active he is. Tsunade checked his heart and discovered that he has a congenital heart disease called PVS, Pulmonary Valve Stenosis. She had to do a small operation, but she just numbed Sasuke's chest so he could be awake for it. She threaded a wire with a small balloon attached to the end of it. She placed the balloon into the pathway between the right ventricle and the pulmonary valve. The balloon was inflated so it made the pathway expand allowing the proper blood flow to go through. He's fine now and it's just something that needs to be monitored every six months to make sure that the balloon doesn't slip out of place." Itachi explained.

"But he's okay though right?" Shikamaru asked.

"He is and I know it's confusing I still don't understand it myself. He is healthy in that sense once again now." Itachi said.

"He was able to walk to the hospital without having to stop. That was an improvement." Kakashi said.

"That's good. It means he's getting stronger. Being able to move around more should help his mental health." Shikamaru said.

"It should and Tsunade gave him sleeping pills to try. Hopefully with proper sleep he will be in better spirits." Itachi said.

"Can I see him?" Shikamaru asked.

"He's in his room. You can try I'm not sure how he will react to you right now. He was really upset and angry." Itachi said.

"Maybe I should wait until I can show him proof that I didn't go to the paper with this." Shikamaru said.

"I think that would be a better idea." Kakashi said.

"I'll go and speak to the author then about the article and see who gave him the information." Shikamaru said.

"I will go and speak to Tsunade about Naruto and see what he has to say." Kakashi said.

"Try not to worry too much about Sasuke, Shikamaru. He's upset, but he'll calm down. I think he knows you didn't do this, but the thought of someone else having this information scares him. Sasuke's a very private person has been since he was little. This is a lot of personal information out there for the whole village to see. He's going to have some problems with this." Itachi said.

"I know. I just hope that I can get answers as to who did this. Maybe if I can show him it wasn't me, he won't be so angry at me for it."

"He will. Once Sasuke calms down he'll realise that it wasn't you who did this." Kakashi said.

"He must have taken a pill, I can feel him asleep right now." Itachi said.

"That's a good though, his body needs sleep." Shikamaru said.

"Come on Shikamaru let's see if we can get some answers for him." Kakashi said.

Shikamaru gave a nod and him and Kakashi left the house and headed off into different directions. Shikamaru was going to speak to the author of the article and see who he got his information from. Kakashi was going to speak to Tsunade about Naruto and see if they could get what he knew out of him. Kakashi was furious that Naruto wouldn't tell him who was the one to release the information about Sasuke to him. Kakashi knew it wasn't Shikamaru who told Naruto and the newspaper about Sasuke. Shikamaru wasn't like that it had to be someone that Naruto knew and that had a grudge against Sasuke. The problem was that would make the person around Sasuke's age and it could very well be someone that Sasuke knows and fought beside before. Kakashi was not liking this at all and he knew that within the hour he would be getting his answers. Kakashi walked into Tsunade's office and he was even more annoyed from the journey over. Kakashi knew that people he walked by were whispering about him and he knew that it would only be worse for Sasuke. Kakashi didn't care if people spoke about him behind his back, he was used to it. It bothered him that people felt the need to whisper about him in front of his face. Every village has people that love to gossip about others and Konoha was the same. What Kakashi hated was that they were gossiping about a thirteen year old boy that had just been through something very traumatic. They should as adults, be showing more respect than that. Kakashi walked through Tsunade's office door and could tell that she was furious. She had the newspaper on her desk and Kakashi knew that she had been dealing with this all day and it was still early.

"Has Sasuke seen this?" Tsunade asked with anger in her voice as she held up the paper in her left hand.

"He picked the paper up from the ground as we went inside."

"How is he?" Tsunade asked with concern.

"A lot has been taken from Sasuke in the last few months. He was just starting to feel like he had some control back in his life and then this happens. It's one more thing that was taken from his control. What's worse is that he thinks Shikamaru is behind this."

"I don't see Shikamaru doing this. He's too intelligent for something like this. Shikamaru, Neji and Sasuke are the most mature teenagers I have in the village. They know the difference between right and wrong and they would never do something like this. This is immature and downright hateful. Whoever did this was doing it out of hate and anger."

"Whoever told Naruto about Sasuke being at the hospital, it has to be someone he knows and trusts."

"Making this person in their age group, someone they probably went to the academy with. That just makes it worse."

"We also figured out that this person must have overheard our conversation yesterday. It was the only time we ever spoke about it outside of my home."

"I've been so worried about outside attacks on Sasuke and ninjas attacking him that I didn't even think to worry about something like this. His comrades are supposed to protect him and help him when he is in need, just like he is supposed to do for them. This should never have happened, especially from someone he knows. I've sent for Naruto and Iruka. They are both going to find out what happens when you cross me."

"I would like to be here for that conversation."

"I figured as much. Who do you think it is?"

"Through process of elimination it can't be Neji, Tenten or Lee. They have been very respectful of Sasuke and giving him the space that he needs. They are older by a year to two years so that seems to have helped them understand the situation better. Obviously it's not Naruto. If Sakura had this information she would have come to me with it. I can't see Ino being vindictive enough to do this. Shino is too quiet and reserved to even care about something like this. If it was him he would just keep it to himself, same as Hinata. Kiba has always disliked Sasuke and Chouji is Shikamaru's best friend, so he could be feeling resentful towards Sasuke for all the time they have been spending together."

"I still can't believe that either would be this foolish and stupid. Young or not they are still able to understand how serious this situation is. How serious and private this information is. Regardless of their age they should know that this is not right."

"What are you going to do about Naruto and whoever the other culprit is?"

"That depends on how they react. If they show remorse and understanding that what they did was wrong, then I won't be too harsh on them. There will be a punishment regardless. I can't let this behaviour go without consequences. How harsh that punishment is depends on them."

"It concerns me that Naruto gave this person a promise to keep quiet and after he found out that this person's intentions were cruel he still kept that promise. Sasuke is his teammate, a friend. What if Naruto had given a ninja from another village the same promise and kept it after finding out that ninja was an enemy. It's a dangerous slope. If Naruto doesn't learn the difference, him being a ninja becomes a liability."

"It is a dangerous slope; one that needs to be addressed. Naruto might not like his punishment, but it's one that needs to be done to assure he understands what he has done is wrong. He needs to grow up and he needs to do it fast."

There was a knock on the door and Naruto and Iruka entered. Kakashi moved so he was standing behind Tsunade. He wanted to see Naruto's face during this conversation.

"Kakashi-Sensei, what are you doing here?" Naruto asked.

"I didn't say you could speak." Tsunade said with anger all throughout her voice.

"Tsunade-Sama, is this about what is in the newspaper?" Iruka asked carefully.

"It's about the newspaper and about what happened at the hospital last night. Did Naruto inform you of last night?" Tsunade asked Iruka.

"No he did not." Iruka answered.

"Are you still taking responsibility for Naruto and his actions?"

"Yes Hokage-Sama."

"Well then Naruto do you wish to tell Iruka about last night or should I?"

"I don't understand what the big deal is about last night." Naruto complained.

"That's the problem." Kakashi said.

"What happened last night, does that have anything to do with the paper this morning?" Iruka asked.

"Partially." Kakashi said.

"So it is true? You really are Sasuke's father?" Naruto said with shook and excitement in his voice.

"That's none of your business." Kakashi said with anger.

"It became his business when it was printed on the front page of the newspaper. Kakashi, you are too close to Sasuke to see what needs to be done for him. You can't keep allowing him to hide away from the world. You need to be harsh with him and make him move on. You are letting your emotions stop you from doing what needs to be done." Iruka said.

"I'm too close? You are the one letting Naruto run around and making things harder for Sasuke. Sasuke is still too injured to be around outside alone. If you have a problem with him not seeing people maybe you'd like to take that up with Itachi. He agrees with my opinion." Kakashi said back he knew that Iruka wouldn't dare to say anything to Itachi.

"I'm just saying that the longer Sasuke pretends that nothing happened the worse it will be when he needs to accept that it did." Iruka said gently.

"He knows damn well that it happened. He's the one going through the emotions and trauma of it all. The last thing he needs is to have to worry about his teammates and comrades being idiots." Kakashi said.

"I don't understand why I'm the one in trouble. I was told that Sasuke wanted to see me. So I showed up to see him at the hospital. Why am I in trouble for that?" Naruto said.

"You saw Sasuke?" Iruka asked.

"Last night at nine o'clock Sasuke, Itachi and Kakashi came to the hospital to meet me. Sasuke needed some tests done and we all felt that it would be better at night when there were less people on the street. According to Naruto someone came to him yesterday and informed him that Sasuke would be there and that Sasuke was too afraid to see Naruto. Naruto agreed to meet Sasuke at the hospital." Tsunade started.

"Only he wasn't quiet about it. Instead of being calm he was loud and obnoxious. He was talking about how Sasuke being raped and how he saw it didn't change what he thought of him. He kept trying to approach Sasuke and it caused him to have a panic attack. I asked Naruto who gave him this information, for only five people knew about it. He refused to tell me even after I ordered him to." Kakashi finished.

"I gave a promise to this person that I wouldn't tell who it was. He didn't want to get Shikamaru in trouble." Naruto said.

"Naruto, you need to explain what happened that made you go to the hospital." Iruka said; who understood the problem.

"I was at my apartment and this person showed up. Said he needed to talk to me about something important. Shikamaru had told him that Sasuke told Shikamaru that he was afraid to see me, because he thought I would think differently of him. Shikamaru told this person that I needed to go to the hospital at nine last night and get Sasuke to listen to me. That I couldn't take no for an answer and make sure I didn't stop until Sasuke understood. He said Shikamaru could get into trouble if I told anyone so I promised I wouldn't. I can't break that promise. I don't break any of my promises."

"It sounds like to me that Shikamaru is the one behind all of this. Why didn't you bring him in for questioning?" Iruka asked.

"Because Shikamaru had nothing to do with it. He didn't tell anyone that, he would never tell anyone that, because it's not true. Shikamaru has spent many hours with Sasuke and he knows better than anyone what Sasuke is feeling. Shikamaru is just as upset as we are over this." Kakashi said.

"Naruto I am only going to ask you this once. You have one chance to avoid any punishments that I give you. Who told you that information?" Tsunade said in a serious voice.

"I can't, I made a promise and a promise from me is a lifetime guarantee." Naruto said stubbornly.

"Naruto, this is the Hokage, you need to tell her." Iruka said.

"No, he had one chance and he just blew it. I have already narrowed it down to two people. I can just bring them in and see which one cracks. Seeing as you don't follow orders and you feel that a promise to someone who has hurt a fellow teammate is more important than protecting that teammate. You have left me with no choice. You are stripped of your ninja status and you will be put back into the academy. You will graduate if and only if I say otherwise. Maybe that will help you to understand what you have done here."

"Hokage-Sama that is not fair. Naruto is only thirteen he's not an adult." Iruka said.

"The other thirteen and twelve year olds have been mature enough to leave Sasuke alone. They would have told me who was behind all of this. The others would have been intelligent enough to know when they are being toyed with. They would have been intelligent enough to not keep a promise to someone like that." Tsunade said.

"That's not fair! I didn't do anything wrong!" Naruto yelled with anger.

"That's the problem. You actually think you didn't do anything wrong. Like what you did last night doesn't have consequences or negative outcomes. You hurt Sasuke; you caused him to have a panic attack so severe I had to give him a sedative to calm him down. You call him your friend, yet you have no interest in protecting him. You're interest and loyalty lies with the one hurting Sasuke. You gave someone a promise and because you refuse to break it I can't trust you. How am I supposed to know that you won't protect an enemy outside of the village, because you promised them something? If I can't trust you to protect a teammate I can't trust you with protecting this village. Take off your forehead protector." Tsunade ordered.

"No, this isn't fair."

"Do it or I will have someone else do it for you. You will not disobey my orders." Tsunade said in a deadly tone.

"Naruto." Iruka said in a stern voice that Naruto knew he couldn't argue with.

Naruto slowly moved his hands up to remove his forehead protector. All he ever wanted was one and now he had to hand it over for keeping a promise. Naruto didn't understand why it mattered so much. It wasn't like he hurt Sasuke. He was only doing what he thought was right. Naruto slowly placed it down on Tsunade's desk.

"Now, Iruka seeing as you have decided to take responsibility for Naruto's actions. You are suspended from ninja duty for a month without pay. Maybe you can take that time off to explain to Naruto just what he has done."

"Yes Hokage-Sama." Iruka said softly.

"Naruto you will not be in the academy until next starting term. No one will train you in the meantime. You have lost all privileges. You are also to stay away from Sasuke. If I find out otherwise you're punishment will only increase. Do you understand?" Tsunade asked in a deadly tone.

"Yes Hokage-Sama." Naruto said defeated.

"Now get the hell out of my site."

Naruto and Iruka left her office and headed back home where Naruto was sure he would be getting a lecture.

"I was really hoping he would tell me." Tsunade said sadly.

"So was I. I understand he is young, but his maturity is younger than the others. He has skill and a lot of potential, but if you can't trust him none of that matters." Kakashi said.

"Umni" Tsunade called out. One of her workers poked his head into her office.

"Yes Hokage-Sama."

"Find me Inuzuka Kiba and bring him here right away."

"Yes Hokage-Sama."

The worker closed the door and headed out to find Kiba.

"Do you believe it's him?" Tsunade asked.

"I don't know. Kiba has never liked Sasuke I can't say for sure if he would do this. Chouji seems too nice though." Kakashi said.

"On the one hand, Chouji would have the motive. Sasuke and Shikamaru have been spending a lot of time together. Maybe he's jealous of that friendship."

"I hate the thought of someone that Sasuke went through the academy with doing this. He has known them since they were all five years old. It's one thing to not like him it's another to go this far."

"I completely agree. Let's see what Kiba has to say. Maybe he knows something."

It was another fifteen minutes before the office door opened and Kiba walked in. He didn't look worried at all and he probably thought he was just there to get another mission.

"Hokage-Sama, Kakashi-Sensei." Kiba said.

"Kiba sit down." Tsunade said.

Kiba sat down in the chair opposite of Tsunade's desk.

"Is everything alright?" Kiba asked.

"As I am sure you have seen the paper you know that not everything is alright." Tsunade said.

"Well ya I've seen it, but it's not really my business. No offense Kakashi-Sensei."

"If everyone in the village had that attitude there would be less whispers." Kakashi said.

"So it is true then and not some rumor."

"It is and someone overheard myself and Tsunade-Sama talking about it. That person told the paper and told Naruto to go and see Sasuke. I won't get too into it, but Naruto caused Sasuke to have a severe panic attack and Tsunade-Sama had to sedate him to get him to calm back down. This person's actions were vindictive and very hurtful to Sasuke. Whoever this person is targeted Sasuke for their own personal reason. Naruto knows who it is, but he is refusing to tell us. He gave this person a promise to keep quiet and he is holding to that." Kakashi said.

"Why would Naruto refuse to tell you? This person obviously hurt Sasuke and Sasuke is his teammate. Shouldn't he be telling you who it was?" Kiba said confusedly.

"That's exactly what he should be doing, but he's not."

"So do you want me to try and talk to him and see if he'll tell me?" Kiba asked.

"This person is someone that Naruto knows and trusts. That tells us that it was someone from the academy. Through process of elimination we have it narrowed down to two people. You are one of those people." Tsunade said.

"Wait you think I did this?"

"Let me start by saying that Naruto didn't tell me anything. He refused and as such he is no longer a ninja and was placed back into the academy the next starting year. This is your only chance at telling me the truth if you had something to do with this." Tsunade said.

"You've had a problem with Sasuke almost since day one in the academy. It's not that far of a stretch for us to think you could have done this." Kakashi said.

"Look, I don't like Sasuke. I never have, but that's only because we're so different. I might not like him, but I respect the hell out of him and I look up to him. I want to be a ninja like Sasuke. I want to know that I can go into a fight and I can win, because of the skills and intelligence that I have. I watched Sasuke get tortured for a week straight, non-stop. He didn't even let out a whimper. No matter what that guy did to him he kept quiet. That's a strength that only you read about in some book. I wouldn't have been able to do it. I would have broke and did what they told me to do. He survived that. He survived what Orochimaru did to him in that bedroom. I would have given up. I would have killed myself. I don't know how he is still alive, but I don't blame him for having problems. I don't blame him for not wanting to see people and for just wanting to hide. I don't have to like a person to respect the hell out of them. I wouldn't do this to him. I wouldn't do it to anyone, but especially Sasuke. He's earned my respect for life and I'll do anything I can to protect him. You gotta believe me I didn't do this."

Tsunade looked at Kakashi and she could see that he believed Kiba. What Kiba said was sincere and he meant every single word of it.

"We believe you." Kakashi said.

"Have you noticed Chouji acting strangely or saying something about Sasuke?" Tsunade asked.

"You think Chouji could have done this?" Kiba asked surprised.

"He's the only one in the group that might have done this." Kakashi said.

"Have you noticed anything?" Tsunade asked.

"Well I don't know. I've heard a few things, but it's only been through the grape vine. I don't know how much of it is true or not."

"What have you heard?" Tsunade asked.

"Ino somehow ended up talking with Hinata about Shikamaru. She was a little upset that Shikamaru hadn't been going on missions with them anymore really. Apparently she felt like Shikamaru thought they weren't good enough for him anymore. That got onto the topic of Shikamaru and Sasuke hanging out so much. Ino said that Chouji was really upset and the team meeting didn't go so well. Asuma had to step in the stop the argument between them. Chouji was really mad and said that Shikamaru was replacing him with Sasuke. That Sasuke didn't deserve his friendship and that Sasuke was just using him. But I mean, he was mad. Shikamaru and Chouji have been best friends since they were like six or something. Who wouldn't be upset if their best friend kept ditching them for someone else? Chouji has never really liked Sasuke, but almost everyone in the academy didn't like Sasuke. The girls all chased after him and he could do things like they were nothing to him, while the rest of us worked to the bone just to get it right. Who wouldn't be jealous?"

"There is a difference in jealousy and a vendetta. It's natural for people to be jealous of Sasuke's skills. Everyone has been jealous of someone and had someone be jealous of them. That doesn't mean you have the right to act on it. This is more than just being jealous, this is hatred and Sasuke doesn't deserve that. It's not Sasuke's fault he was born with skills. Just like it's not Shikamaru's fault for being born intelligent. It's not Sasuke's fault he picks up on things quicker. As comrades you shouldn't be jealous of that; you should be understanding that it's not something he has control over. Just like you have no control over being able to understand Akamaru. You were born with that skill and Sasuke was born with his." Kakashi said.

"I never thought of it like that. When you put it like that, it kinda seems stupid to dislike Sasuke for it."

"It's frustrating that people learn at different speeds. Sasuke is a quick learner, but I know that if someone came up to him and asked for help he would help that person. Sasuke might not show it, but he wants everyone to learn and to get stronger." Kakashi said.

"Do you really think Chouji would do this though? He's always been nice and gentle. This doesn't seem like something he would do." Kiba said.

"I'll speak to him and see what he has to say when he returns from his mission." Tsunade said.

"I hope Sasuke is okay and he gets back to being a ninja."

"So do I." Kakashi said.

"Thank-you Kiba. I don't think I need to tell you to keep quiet about this."

"I will Hokage-Sama."

"Dismissed." Tsunade said.

Kiba got up from the chair, but before he left the office he turned back to them one more time.

"Sasuke, is he okay? I mean physically."

"He's getting there. He has a long way to go, but Itachi is back in the village and is helping Sasuke a lot." Kakashi said.

"If there's anything I can do just let me know." Kiba said.

"I will. He's sees Shikamaru quite a bit and he's seen Neji once. It's a long process, but he's making steps in the right direction." Kakashi said.

"Did he um… did he know that you were his father before this came out?"

"For two days. He didn't have time to really digest it, that's why this made it very much worse." Kakashi said.

"I hope it works out for him. Maybe when he's ready I can see him."

"When he's ready I'll let you know." Kakashi said.

"Thanks." Kiba said as he left Tsunade's office.

"Maybe we should talk to Asuma and see what he thinks of the argument." Kakashi suggested.

"I agree. Chouji is away on a mission for a week. He left yesterday afternoon sometime with a small squad."

"Asuma is probably at his home right now."

"Let's go and speak to him. I want to see how the village is reacting to this."

"They are full of whispers behind your back, but you know that is how people react."

"Let me know if anyone gives you any problems and I will put an end to it right away."

"I can handle myself. Besides people don't usually confront me and anyone thinking of confronting Sasuke will think twice with Itachi around."

"If they are smart they won't. Let's go see Asuma and see what he heard of this argument." Tsunade said as she stood up from her chair.

Tsunade and Kakashi left her office and made the journey to Asuma's home.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXX

Shikamaru headed into the local newspaper's office. Konoha wasn't very big and not a lot happened in Konoha, but they still had their own newspaper to let people know of events that happened in Konoha. Most of it was opinion pieces by authors throughout the village. Shikamaru knew that information like this would be the talk of the paper for months to come. Shikamaru knew who the author was for his name was all over the page. Claiming title for the information that fell into his lap. Shikamaru knew that most people really don't find him threatening at all, but he didn't need to be threatening to get the information. He was smarter than everyone in the building and Shikamaru wasn't afraid to show it. Shikamaru headed over to the office with Kumni Ruiti's name on it, the author for this article. Shikamaru didn't even knock he just entered not caring if he was alone or not. Kumni looked up from his notebook to see Shikamaru standing there.

"Can I help you?" He asked rudely.

Shikamaru closed the door and went over to the desk. He didn't sit down he just stood there with a neutral face and his hands in his pants pocket. He was going to get the information one way or another so he had no worries.

"You wrote an article in the newspaper about Uchiha Sasuke and Hatake Kakashi."

"Ya I did."

"Who was your source?"

"None of your business." He said rudely.

"Actually it is my business. As a Chounin of this village I have authority to arrest you and hold you in jail."

"On what charges?" Kumni asked rudely.

"For leaking personal information of a Konoha ninja. That is a crime that will get you two years in jail. Not to mention that ninja is underage and the other is one of Konoha's most powerful and respectful ninja. You are looking at, at least two years assuming the Hokage is in a nice mood. Care to tell me now or should I go get Uchiha Itachi and you can tell him how this is none of his business."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa just hold on a second. If I cooperate you won't arrest me or tell Uchiha Itachi about this?"

"He already knows about this. You put it on the front page of the paper. I can tell you that if you don't cooperate he will be the next one you see and knowing him. He'll be the last one you see."

"Look, I don't know who the source was. I just got a letter with the information."

"And you just printed the information without any proof other than someone else's word."

"That's kinda how my job works. This was too huge to ignore."

"Where's the letter?"

Kumni opened his desk drawer and pulled out the letter and envelope from it. He handed it to Shikamaru.

"You'll tell him I cooperated right?"

"I will, but no one stops Itachi. You should have thought of that before you printed his little brother's business all over the front page."

Shikamaru said as he left the office not even caring about what Kumni was going to say next. The truth was Shikamaru knew that Itachi wouldn't do anything to him or to whoever wrote this letter. Itachi had a bad reputation, but Shikamaru knew he wouldn't just kill someone over this. One day this was all going to come out, unfortunately it came out so early on that Sasuke didn't even have time to prepare for it. Shikamaru opened the letter and he instantly recognized the writing as Chouji's. Shikamaru instantly felt betrayal and anger towards his best friend. He knew that Chouji was angry and upset with him, but he never thought he would ever do something this stupid and hurtful towards Sasuke. Shikamaru couldn't help the anger that was taking over his body. For Chouji to do this to Sasuke especially after what happened to him was just cruel. Shikamaru just couldn't believe that Chouji would be this cruel and stupid. It was one thing to be feeling like Shikamaru was neglecting their friendship, but to do this to someone. They could have worked through the problems. Shikamaru could have made more time for them to hang out, but now their friendship was over. Shikamaru couldn't forgive something like this. Shikamaru put the letter into his pants pocket and headed back to Kakashi's home to speak to them about this.

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Kakashi and Tsunade knocked on Asuma's door. After a few minutes Asuma came to the door and was surprised to see both Tsunade and Kakashi standing there. He had thought he would see Kakashi at some point today. He did read the newspaper every morning so he knew that Kakashi was Sasuke's biological father. The news was shocking, but Asuma wasn't one to judge. He was sure that Kakashi would be by to talk to him about it.

"Hokage-Sama, Kakashi, come in." Asuma said as he held the door open for them.

Tsunade and Kakashi went inside and headed over to the living room. Asuma closed the door and followed them into the living room. Asuma sat down after Tsunade did so in the chair. Asuma sat down on the couch along with Kakashi.

"How is Sasuke?" Asuma asked Kakashi.

"That is why I have always liked you Asuma. You care more about people then gossip." Kakashi said.

"Is it just gossip or is there truth to it?" Asuma asked.

"It is true and Sasuke is working on dealing with it." Kakashi answered.

"Did you at least get to tell him before all of this?"

"He had known for two days. It's a complicated story."

"When you are ready to talk about it. I'll be here to listen."

"Thank-you."

"Unfortunately this article is more serious then it appears to be. Yesterday sometime, someone went to speak to Naruto about Sasuke. He told Naruto that Sasuke was scared to see him and he thought that Naruto thought differently of him. He told Naruto that Sasuke would be at the hospital last night at nine to get some tests done and that Naruto should go over there and see Sasuke. That he shouldn't take no for an answer. Naruto did show up and caused Sasuke to have a panic attack so bad that I had to administer a sedative to calm him down. Kakashi had explained to Naruto that this person did this to hurt Sasuke and that he needed to tell him who it was. Naruto refused said he made this person a promise and he wouldn't break it. Now this morning this article comes out. Both pieces of information Kakashi and I had spoken about early yesterday morning in my office. This person overheard the conversation and decided to use it for his own cruel enjoyment. I called Naruto and Iruka down to my office just an hour ago roughly. Naruto refused to tell me the person's name; as a result of that I have stripped him of his ninja status and he will be placed back into the academy next starting term." Tsunade explained.

Asuma let out a sigh. "Is Sasuke alright?"

"He's upset and he is blaming Shikamaru. Up until this morning we believed that only myself, Tsunade, Sasuke, Itachi and Shikamaru had all of this information. So Sasuke is naturally blaming Shikamaru for this." Kakashi said.

"He would never do this. I didn't even know about any of this. If he was going to tell someone it would have been me."

"Itachi and I spoke to Shikamaru; he came by this morning once he saw the paper. We know he didn't do this. Unfortunately Sasuke doesn't. He was very upset and went to his room and fell asleep after taking a sleeping pill. Shikamaru went to the newspaper office to speak to the author. He was going to find out who the source was." Kakashi said.

"Do you have an idea? If Naruto gave this person a promise and trusted what they had to say surely he must know them." Asuma said.

"We have come to the conclusion that it was one of the rookies who did this. Through process of elimination we were left with Kiba and Chouji. We just spoke to Kiba and he swears he didn't do this and we believe him. He did mention that your team had an argument over Shikamaru and Sasuke spending time together. He said that Chouji was very mad at Sasuke for it. Chouji is away on a mission and won't be back for a week. We were hoping you might have some information on the fight for us." Tsunade said.

"Chouji was upset at Shikamaru, but so was Ino. This whole situation really has shown the maturity level in the rookies. I've spoken with the other sensei and we've all talked about how each one was dealing with this. Neji and Shikamaru seem to be dealing with it the best, but that really wasn't a surprise to us. Neji, Shikamaru and Sasuke are the most mature and smartest in the group so they understand things better and quicker. Kurenai's squad they are just trying to move on from it and not add to the fire. Hinata and Shino are quiet and keep to themselves. Kiba, I think he feels guilty that he couldn't do more to help. He was there for it so he understands what happened and how severe the attack was, same as Shino. I think with Ino and Chouji that's the problem. They weren't there for it so they don't understand just how traumatizing it was and how brutal the attack was. They both felt that Sasuke should have gotten over it by now. That three months was long enough for him to get passed it. They're young though so they don't understand the trauma behind it all. I know Ino has been speaking with Sakura and I think what Sakura is feeling is coming off on Ino. A lot of words were said that I would like to believe they were only said in the heat of the argument." Asuma started off by saying.

"Words from who?" Tsunade asked.

"Shikamaru has been spending a lot of free time with Sasuke. I have no problem with that. It's his life and he is allowed to be friends with whomever he wishes. Honestly I think they are both good for each other. Sasuke has someone that is calm and level headed. Someone that won't judge him and Shikamaru has finally found someone his own age that he can talk to. Shikamaru's IQ does make it difficult for him to properly communicate with people his age. With Sasuke he doesn't have to worry about what he says Sasuke understands him. Because of that understanding though, I think Chouji is jealous."

"Did he say anything?" Kakashi asked.

"Ino said that Sasuke has always thought he was better than everyone and that maybe what happened to him will put him down a few pegs."

"Well that is one hell of a thing to say about someone that was tortured and raped." Tsunade said. They didn't think Ino had anything to do with this, now they weren't so sure.

"I strongly believe she said it out of the heat of the moment. You need to understand that Ino is getting a lot from Sakura. Sakura is very upset over the situation and Naruto isn't helping any. I think Ino was just frustrated and it finally came to a head. If she had this information she would have told Sakura about it and then I'm sure one of you would have heard about it. I truly believe she was just at her breaking point."

"What about Chouji? Do you think he could have done this?" Kakashi asked.

"I would like to believe that no one on my squad had anything to do with this. I would like to believe that it was just words and nothing more. The problem is Chouji really didn't seem to understand the situation. He wasn't mad at Shikamaru for spending time with Sasuke. He was mad at Sasuke, he was very mad. He said that Sasuke was just using Shikamaru and Kakashi. He said that it was Sasuke's fault that Itachi was no longer on a mission and that Sasuke was just using Shikamaru as a form of entertainment. That once Sasuke was physically healed he wouldn't want anything to do with Shikamaru. Shikamaru got upset and tried to explain that they were friends and they both talk to each other. Shikamaru did bring up that it was nice to not have to dumb things down with Sasuke. Chouji didn't say it, but you could tell he was angry about that. I tried to get the argument to stop and to get them to understand that everyone can be friends with different people. I was able to get the argument to stop, but the animosity was still very much there."

"Do you think Chouji would have done this?" Tsunade asked.

"I really hope not. If he did that concerns me. It's one thing to be angry and upset with Sasuke. It's another to go this far. To cause a panic attack in Sasuke, to throw his private information out to the newspaper goes beyond anger. I would like to be there when you question him. If he did do this I would really like to know why. I have done my best to train my squad to be better than this. I would like to believe that they are better than this. From the way that they were talking I'm not so sure they are."

"He'll be back in a week and I will summon for you when he returns as well as Kakashi and Chouji's father. I will give him the same chance I gave Naruto. One chance to tell me the truth and I won't be so severe on him." Tsunade said.

"If he does admit to it, what will you do?" Asuma asked.

"That depends on why he did it, on if he even feels remorse for it. I can't let this behaviour go unpunished. I can't risk having ninja behave this way." Tsunade said.

"I completely understand that. I hope he didn't do this. I hope for Sasuke's sake that it wasn't someone he knows and I hope he is able to get better and move on from this." Asuma said sincerely.

"Itachi is helping a lot. It's a slow process, but he'll get there in time." Kakashi said.

"If you ever need anything you know all you have to do is just ask." Asuma said.

"I know and I will if the time comes." Kakashi said back.

"Thank-you for your help Asuma. I will let you know if something comes up." Tsunade said.

"I appreciate that thank-you." Asuma said.

They all got up and Asuma walked Kakashi and Tsunade to the front door. They still didn't have confirmation, but now they knew what the argument was about. It also gave them a better understanding of how Chouji was feeling.

"I want to go to your place and see if Shikamaru has returned with any information." Tsunade said.

"I'm sure he has by now." Kakashi said as he started to head off in the direction of his house with Tsunade beside him.

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Shikamaru knocked on Kakashi's door and waited for someone to answer it. He was sure he could just walk in, but he didn't want to in case Sasuke was up and speaking with Itachi or Kakashi. Shikamaru didn't think Kakashi would be back by now, but he didn't know. If Naruto gave up Chouji then he could very well be back by now. Chouji was out on a mission for at least a week and Shikamaru knew that each day that passes is another day he will be more anger. Itachi opened the door and allowed Shikamaru to come in. Itachi closed the door and turned his attention to Shikamaru.

"You could sense your anger coming down the street. If you wish to be a Jounin one day then you will need to work on that." Itachi said as he headed over to the couch.

"This is the letter that Kumni received. It's in Chouji's handwriting. Chouji, my best friend since I was little. So you can see my reason for anger." Shikamaru said as he handed Itachi the letter.

Shikamaru kept pacing around the living room while Itachi quickly read the short letter. There were no emotions in the writing or the wording. It was strictly about the DNA test and Kakashi being Sasuke's father. It was short and to the point it was also nothing more than just the word of the writer. The article should never have been written without proof and clearly this letter didn't hold any.

"There is no proof in this letter."

"No he didn't care. He said it was the biggest scandal he had ever seen so he went with it."

"Journalists are all the same. You've never been angry before have you." Itachi simply stated.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because you are pacing around like a windup toy. That indicates to me that you are not used to this emotion. It also tells me that you have come from a good home with a good life."

"And that's a bad thing?" Shikamaru asked annoyed.

"No it just means you will have a lot of emotions you are not used to. Especially being a Chounin now. You will get used to them though as it is a part of life. This is one of the most significant though, as it is the first time you have been betrayed by someone. It hurts more coming from someone you know." Itachi said looking right at Shikamaru.

Shikamaru stopped pacing and stood there looking at Itachi. He was right this was the first time he felt betrayal and he hated the feeling.

"I'll never get used to this feeling."

"No you won't. No one does and that is a good thing. It means you won't ever betray anyone, especially someone you know. You took his friendship as true and real and he threw it back at you. Even if he did this to hurt Sasuke, he knew it would hurt you in return but he didn't care. You have every right to be angry and feel betrayed. When you start to become immune to those emotions is when you have to worry."

"Are you?"

"No I just know how to hide them. It's important to not show emotions when you are a ninja especially the higher up you are. You need enemies to think you don't have emotions, but that doesn't mean you don't. I just got very good at hiding them from people. This situation makes me angry and if it wasn't a thirteen year old boy behind all of this I wouldn't be sitting here."

"So what do you do with this feeling? Revenge solves nothing, it only causes more pain. How do you make it go away?"

"Sit down Shikamaru." Itachi said gently.

Shikamaru went and sat down on the couch with his arms on his legs bent over slightly.

"Sasuke was five when I had this conversation with him. I was on a mission and our cousin who we both trusted with Sasuke took him out into the forest. When they got there our cousin had set him up. There were four other Uchihas there and they all attacked him. They hurt him very badly and when I got back a week later he was still in a great deal of pain. That was the first time he felt betrayed. Out of all the emotions you will feel, the loss of a loved one will always be the worst and betrayal will always be second. I'm going to tell you what I told Sasuke that night. You can't trust everyone in this world and sometimes the people you trust the most are the ones that will hurt you the worst. That doesn't mean you should stop trusting people and each betrayal will make you smarter. You can't hold on to the betrayal, you can't carry that around with you, because it will only do more harm than good. That doesn't mean that you forgive and forget it just means that you can't let it destroy you. Your heart will heal and you will still be able to trust the people that you do now. If all else fails know that you can trust me and I will be there for you and protect you whenever I can."

"How do you know you can trust me?" Shikamaru asked softly.

"Because Sasuke trusts you and that speaks volumes about who you are as a person. You are here for him and have been since he got home from the hospital. You are a good young man and I know one day you will be a great man and a great ninja. Because of you I have finally figured out what I would like to do when I go back to work."

"What's that?"

"Train specific ninjas with the right potential to be at my level. Good young men and women that have a lot to offer. Train them to stay alive, to go on the S-Ranked missions and be successful. So that one day when I am gone and the other elite ninja are gone there will be a new generation of elites. Elites that can take their knowledge that we taught them to pass down to the next generation."

"The village could use that. You are the most powerful in the village and everyone knows it. I think it would be good for you to pass that along to other ninja. Maybe Sasuke will be one you train."

"I'm not sure. He's not sure what he wants to do yet, but I will let him explain that to you if he chooses to."

"Is he awake?"

"Not yet. He hasn't even moved."

"You can sense when he moves?"

"I can. I can sense Sasuke within a hundred miles of me. The closer he is the stronger I can sense him. If he moves or wakes up I'll know."

"Wow, can he sense you that strongly?"

"Not as strongly as I can, but he knows when I'm in the village or the area of where he is."

"I can't imagine having a connection that strong with someone. I can only sense when my father is right by me."

"It's a skill that one has to work on and develop. It comes in handy for when you are on a mission and enemies are near. It's the same skill. Do you meditate?"

"No"

"You should. It helps to increase your senses and strengthens them. That is how Sasuke and I do it. Once they are strong enough you can sense people without meditating."

"I'll have to try that. I'm more strategic then an actual fighter so any added help I can get is always useful."

"Senses are just as important as techniques are. If you can sense your enemy before they can sense you; that gives you the advantage point. You set the stage for battle and they are the ones unprepared for it."

"You would make a good teacher. I hope you do pursue that when you are ready. I know there are a lot of ninja that could benefit from your knowledge."

"Sasuke is the one with the true intelligence in the family. His mind can just put a puzzle together like he was breathing."

"He is intelligent. It's nice that I can talk to him and he understands what I say. I've never had that before with someone my age. I hate that I judged him growing up. We could have been friends this whole time. Maybe he would have been different, not so guarded."

"Sasuke has always been guarded. He's never even been able to trust his own family to keep him safe. That will change a child, especially a young one. However, when he trusts you completely he'll show you who he is. All of those walls will come down and when he's around you, he's just Sasuke. And I have to say Sasuke is a great person to know as biased as that sounds."

"He's a lot cooler than I thought. I also didn't know he was so smart. I knew he was smart with ninja skills and that aspect, but I didn't know he could be so smart outside of the ninja world. I'm having fun getting to know him and I hope I can know everything about him."

"Stick around and in time you will."

Just then the front door opened and in walked Kakashi and Tsunade. They went over to Itachi and Shikamaru that were still in the living room. Tsunade chose to stand and Kakashi went over to the couch. Itachi handed Tsunade the letter that Kumni had given Shikamaru.

"This is the letter that Kumni, the author, got his information from." Itachi said.

Tsunade took it and read the letter.

"It's Chouji's handwriting." Shikamaru said sadly.

Kakashi and Tsunade looked at Shikamaru with sympathy in their eyes. This wouldn't be easy for Shikamaru. He was best friends with Chouji and had been for close to eight years now ever since the academy. This wouldn't be easy for him to accept or to handle. He was friends with both Sasuke and Chouji and now one went out of their way to hurt the other. It wasn't a situation anyone liked to be in.

"I'm sorry Shikamaru." Kakashi said.

"We had a feeling it might have been Chouji." Tsunade said.

"What brought you to that conclusion?" Itachi asked.

"Process of elimination. Naruto trusted what this person had to say so he must have known them. That lead us to the rookies and out of all of them Chouji and Kiba were the only two that made sense. We spoke to Kiba and we believed that he didn't do it. He told us how your squad had an argument about your time spent with Sasuke. We spoke to Asuma about it and after that we didn't have much of a doubt." Tsunade said.

"How did I not see this coming?" Shikamaru asked.

"How could you see this coming? Shikamaru, this isn't your fault. This isn't something you should have seen a mile away. Chouji is your best friend it's natural for you to have never thought he would do something like this. We never thought he would. You can't blame yourself for someone else's actions. Chouji made the choice to do this and when he returns from his mission he'll have to face the consequences of that choice." Kakashi said.

"What will that be?" Shikamaru asked.

"That will depend on Chouji. I will give him the same chance I gave Naruto. If he tells me the truth from the start then I will not be as severe. However, if he lies and doesn't show remorse for his actions then that calls into question a bigger problem." Tsunade said.

"Trust." Itachi answered.

"Naruto refused to tell me who did this. He refused to break his promise even Iruka couldn't get him to talk. That's a huge problem. If he had made a promise to an outside ninja how can I trust him to protect Konoha? His maturity is far too low and his actions proved that. I stripped him of his ninja title and sent him back to the academy next starting term. Chouji may be there with him or he might not be; that all depends on Chouji." Tsunade said.

"Naruto really wouldn't give him up? Even after everything that happened. His loyalty to Sasuke should be even stronger after what happened. He was there for it. I don't understand how he doesn't understand the seriousness of this situation." Shikamaru said.

"Everyone matures at a different rate. Sasuke has been mature since he was seven years old. He had to take care of himself and by doing that he grew up very fast. Naruto on the other side of it though, refuses to grow up. He wants people to notice him so badly that he is willing to keep a promise to someone that has hurt his teammate. A person he calls a friend. His desire to be noticed and remembered is clouding his judgement and stalling his maturity. He was there while Sasuke was tortured and just like you have done, Neji has done, Shino has done and Kiba has done. You four understood Sasuke's need for time. You understood that he couldn't just overcome this overnight. Naruto hasn't understood that even after all of the times people have told him. He should understand, because he witnessed what happened. He's acting like he wasn't even there. Naruto needs to grow up or he can't be trusted to protect the village." Kakashi said.

"He needs to change his priorities and his way of thinking. It's easier to do that as a child then as an adult, but still it might never happen. Unfortunately, Naruto might never understand until he goes through something similar." Itachi said.

"And that's not something anyone wants, but it is true. I hope Chouji shows remorse and I hope he admits to it. I don't like losing young ninja I've already lost two I do not want to lose a third." Tsunade said.

"Sasuke's not going to be a ninja anymore is he." Shikamaru stated.

"We don't know for sure yet, but I know my brother. He's never wanted to be one. He has the chance to follow his dreams right now and I hope he takes it. I will be very encouraging for him to do so." Itachi said.

"Well that's not surprising. You've always hated Sasuke being a ninja from what I remember." Kakashi said.

"Of course I have. He's too smart to be a ninja. I never wanted this life for him. I wanted him to be in a career where there was no blood or enemies to hunt down. I didn't want my little brother to be used as another tool for the village."

"Like you?" Shikamaru asked.

"Yes like me, but I have been doing it since I was seven. I'm used to it. I did not want Sasuke to be used to it as well." Itachi answered honestly.

"Whatever Sasuke decides I will be supportive of him. Obviously I would like him to continue being a ninja, but I will not force him." Tsunade said.

"Asuma told us about the argument that the three of you had. Do you think Chouji acted alone in this or could Ino have helped?" Kakashi asked.

"It was just a stupid argument and I know that the topic was serious, but it really was just stupid. They were mad, because of the time I was spending with Sasuke and not them. They both said things I'm sure they regret; I know Ino must already be regretting what she said. I thought it would be an easy fix though. Chouji would be back from his mission in a week and I figured he would have calmed down by then and we could go for dinner and talk. He was just upset that I wasn't spending that much time with him, it's an easy fix. I never thought this would happen at all."

"None of us expected this to happen. It's not your fault. As you get older you will come to find that the friends you have now, you might only nod to in the street in ten years. It's the natural way of life. Who you were when you were five is not the same person you are now. Just like who you are now won't be the same person you are in ten years. Life changes people, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. It will happen to you and everyone your age. You might still be friends with some of your friends now and you might not be and that's okay it happens with everyone. I don't even go on missions with the ninja I was friends with in the academy. I have all new friends. That doesn't mean you won't be there to protect them or to help them. It just means that you no longer share any common interests and you grew apart." Kakashi said.

"Chouji made his decision and now he has to live with it. It's not your fault he did this. He could have gone on his mission and spoke to you when he returned. He could have worked this problem out; because you are right it is a stupid problem. It was a stupid argument to have, especially when the solution is so simple." Tsunade said.

"I don't understand why he would do this. I thought our friendship meant more to him. He knew that eventually he would have been found out. There was no guarantee that Naruto wouldn't have told on him or that the author would have kept quiet. He hurt Sasuke and I get that he was angry at him, but why hurt me to? We could have fixed this and now he completely destroyed our friendship over something to juvenile." Shikamaru said.

"When Chouji returns I will be speaking with him. Kakashi, Asuma and his father will be there. Hopefully we get some answers. I will also be keeping a close eye on the rest of the rookies to see how they are handling everything. I think it's time for you to be having a conversation with Sakura Kakashi." Tsunade said.

"I plan on it." Kakashi answered.

"Maybe I should talk to Naruto. Maybe I could get him to understand." Itachi said.

"Understand or scare him into submission?" Kakashi asked.

"I think by Itachi showing up that will scare him into submission." Shikamaru said.

"Well he needs to learn." Itachi said.

"I don't think traumatizing him will help him learn." Kakashi said

"I wasn't going to touch him." Itachi said in his defense.

"You don't have to, to traumatize him." Kakashi said.

"I'm simply just suggesting to help him understand why Sasuke is not magically okay."

"How would you do that?" Shikamaru asked.

"You probably shouldn't know." Itachi said to Shikamaru.

"Ah plausible deniability, a political saver." Tsunade said.

"I could show him how it feels without touching him." Itachi said.

"I really don't think two traumatized thirteen year olds would be helping the situation." Kakashi said.

"He wouldn't have any injuries."

"Not physical." Kakashi said back.

"Itachi I appreciate you being in the village, but you need to remember we are dealing with children. As angry as Sasuke might be I don't see him being happy that you would do something to Naruto." Tsunade said.

"I'll leave him alone. What can we do about this article?"

"The letter never provided proof. Maybe we could get him to write a new article claiming the first one was false." Shikamaru suggested.

"Kiba, Asuma, Naruto and Iruka already know it's true. There's no point in bringing any more attention to this. It's front page news today, but in a week from now someone else will be on it. I think the best thing to do right now is to just wait it out until a new scandal comes up." Kakashi said.

"I agree. To give this anymore attention than it already has would just be making this drag out longer. It's better to let it die out and move on to someone else." Itachi said.

"So now we just wait until Chouji gets back?" Shikamaru asked.

"For now, yes that is all we can do. When Sasuke wakes up I'll be speaking with him and letting him know what we have found out." Itachi said.

"Right now it is best to keep this quiet that it was Chouji behind this. I don't want to start anything within the village." Tsunade said.

"I'm sure Naruto will be loud enough." Kakashi said.

"Do you think Iruka will be able to get him to understand?" Shikamaru asked.

"Hopefully, but I'm afraid Iruka believes that Kakashi is too close to do what is right for Sasuke. Iruka believes that Kakashi is allowing Sasuke to delay his recovery because of his emotions towards Sasuke. I'm not too sure Iruka will help Naruto understand everything he did wrong. He might not believe that Naruto going to see Sasuke was wrong." Tsunade said.

"But Naruto caused Sasuke to have a panic attack. How was that not wrong?" Shikamaru asked.

"I agree, but Naruto didn't know that was going to happen. It's all very complicated right now and hopefully once Chouji is back it will all be over and done with. For now there is nothing more I can do. I have paperwork and missions to assign. If something happens let me know." Tsunade said.

"We will." Kakashi said.

"Hang in there Shikamaru everything will work itself out." Tsunade said.

"Thank-you Hokage-Sama."

Tsunade left Kakashi's house to return back to her office to get her work done.

"Do you think Naruto will eventually understand what he's done wrong?" Shikamaru asked.

"That all depends on Naruto and Iruka. If Iruka can get him to see what he did was wrong then he might understand why. If not then he might never understand why what he did was wrong. If that happens, Naruto will never be an active ninja. It really does depend on Naruto." Kakashi said.

"How is Sasuke going to handle all of this? He knew Chouji. Naruto was his teammate and they both betrayed him." Shikamaru said.

"Sasuke is unfortunately used to being betrayed by people he knows. He'll accept it and move on from it. He at least still has you. If it had been you behind all of this, that would have hurt him a lot worse than Chouji and Naruto." Itachi answered.

"I should get going. I need to go to the library to do some research. I'd like to be home before Naruto goes around telling everyone what happened." Shikamaru said.

"Research for what?" Kakashi asked.

"Medical. I want to learn more about injuries and first aid tips to keep the person alive. What happened with Sasuke really showed me just how much I don't know about injuries. If I had known more I might have been able to do something about it."

"As I recall you knew that Sasuke had a punctured lung. You used tweezers and a rubber band to close the hole. Some would say that was pretty resourceful." Kakashi said.

"I got lucky that Neji had that in his pack from Tenten. If you hadn't shown when you did we would have waited out the storm and Sasuke could be dead right now. I just want to be educated for next time."

"A ninja can never know too much medical aid. It's good that you wish to research and learn more about it. When you are out there and have no medic having someone that knows about injuries is the next best thing. If you wish to continue with leading squads they will be looking to you for answers and for help when you are injured. It's good that you want to be able to help them." Itachi said.

"Thanks. When he wakes up you'll tell him what happened?" Shikamaru asked as he stood up from the couch.

"I will explain everything that we have discovered." Itachi answered.

"I'll come by tomorrow and see him. I know he'll probably need some time to accept everything."

"Come by whenever you'd like Shikamaru you know that." Kakashi said.

"I'll see you both tomorrow."

"Be safe." Itachi said.

Shikamaru left Kakashi's house and headed off towards the library. He wanted to get home before he ran into anyone. So far he hadn't been asked about the article and he really didn't want to have to deal with anyone asking him about it. Since he was the only one that saw Sasuke, all of the rookies had been asking him about him. Shikamaru didn't mind normally, but recently they had started to become more annoying. At first the questions were about how Sasuke was feeling and now they were about why he wouldn't let anyone see him. Shikamaru didn't mind defending Sasuke, but to have the same conversation over and over again was just plain annoying. They just couldn't respect Sasuke's privacy and this situation with Chouji was a direct result of that. Shikamaru was mad and he was hurt. All he wanted to do was get some books at the library and head home.

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Iruka and Naruto got back to Iruka's apartment. Iruka wanted to speak to Naruto about what just happened and how he felt about the whole thing. Iruka couldn't believe that Naruto had disobeyed Tsunade and Kakashi's orders to tell him who the source was. Naruto was young and although Iruka didn't agree with Tsunade's decision to remove Naruto from ninja title he could understand her concern. Iruka felt that she was far too hard on Naruto and he was only doing what he thought was right. There had been many times in the past where ninjas had disobeyed a direct order for what they believed was the right thing to do. Iruka believed that Naruto wasn't doing this to be mean or to hurt Sasuke, but that he didn't want to get a friend in trouble. Iruka was confident that he just needed to explain to Naruto where he went wrong and that he had to learn the difference between a good promise and one that should not be kept. Naruto was young and he was an orphan he didn't grow up with a parent there to guide him. He didn't have a parent there to tell him when he was doing something wrong or how to guide his morals. Iruka completely believed that Tsunade and Kakashi were being too hard on him. It also upset and angered Iruka that Kakashi just used Itachi to try and scare him into submission. Iruka knew just as well as everyone that Itachi was strong and powerful. He had trained him in the academy he knew very well what Itachi was capable of. He also knew how much he cared for Sasuke, but that didn't mean that Sasuke was off limits because Itachi was around. Sasuke has to learn how to fight his own battles and not hide behind Itachi like a child. Iruka knew he was going to need to have a conversation with Itachi and Kakashi about this. They were too emotionally involved to not do what was right for Sasuke. Of course a little time away and hiding in his room was to be expected and allowed, but now he needed to get outside and start to move on from all of this. They couldn't let this situation get to the extreme and if they kept their head in their ass Sasuke was never going to get better and return to duty.

"Iruka-Sensei I'm sorry old Tsunade punished you for what I did." Naruto said sincerely.

"Naruto sit down, we need to talk." Iruka said seriously.

Naruto went over to the couch and sat down with Iruka on the other side of the couch. Naruto knew there would be a discussion, but he really didn't think he did anything wrong and if he did he didn't think it was that bad.

"Naruto, do you know what you did wrong?"

"I didn't obey orders."

"Yes, but do you know what you did wrong besides that?"

"I don't see how keeping a promise is wrong."

"Keeping promises is not wrong all the time. Sometimes though, keeping a promise to someone who did something wrong is a mistake. Naruto you need to learn the difference between a good promise and a bad promise. For example; Sakura comes up and tells you that she likes someone and you promise not to tell anyone, that is a good promise. One you should keep, because she is your friend and she is trusting you with this information. Another example is that Kiba comes up to you and tells you that he beat this old man up in the street last night for no reason. The old man is in the hospital and seriously injured. He wants you to promise to keep it a secret. That would be a bad promise. Do you know why?" Iruka asked gently.

"Because someone got hurt. He might not have meant to do it, but someone innocent still got hurt by his actions." Naruto answered.

"That's right and that would be a bad promise to keep. Now keep in mind those two examples and think about it. The promise you made to this person, a person you refuse to tell anyone their name. Was that a good or a bad promise?"

"It's not the same thing. That person didn't know what would happen. He didn't know that Sasuke would have a panic attack. I didn't know that."

"No you both didn't. That doesn't change that Sasuke did have a severe panic attack or that his private and personal information ended up on the front cover of the newspaper. The same person that went to you went to the newspaper. Does that sound like a person with good intentions?"

"No, but he's never been mean before. Maybe he didn't have a choice or something happened."

"He could have been a great person and maybe there is a reasonable explanation to all of this, but that's not for you to defend. This person has to defend his actions, not you. What you did was wrong. You kept a bad promise and what is worse is that you are now putting your own life on the line because of it. If you had gone in there today and told them who it was. Told them that you didn't expect any of this to happen that you were just taking friendly advice, today would have turned out differently. You would still be a ninja and you would still have Tsunade and Kakashi's respect. By choosing to protect someone that hurt your friend you have now lost all of their respect. Respect is not easy to get and you might never get that back. It's one thing to risk everything for a good cause. It's another to lose everything to protect someone that hurt a friend. Kakashi told you on that first day that those who don't protect their friends were scum and today you just became scum to him. Are you starting to understand where you went wrong?"

"The guy who told me is my friend to. How do you put one friend over the other?" Naruto asked with confusion in his voice.

"By looking at their intentions. This friend of yours, look at his actions. He told you this information; he lied and said that Shikamaru told him, potentially getting Shikamaru into trouble. He then had you go to the hospital in return putting Sasuke's health in danger and getting you into trouble. He then put Sasuke's private information on the front page of the newspaper. This friend you are protecting did all of that while Sasuke did nothing. Are those the actions of a friend that deserves your protection?"

"No, if he didn't start this then none of this would have happened. So what do I do to make this right? I can't see Sasuke and he doesn't come outside. So how do I fix this?"

"Right now it's best to just stay away from Sasuke. I'll speak to Kakashi and see if there is something that can be done to resolve this mess, but you have to tell me who told you."

Naruto let out a sigh before he spoke. "It was Chouji."

"Thank-you. Now head home I am going to speak to Kakashi and see if I can get this resolved and get you back into ninja status."

"I'm sorry about all of this."

"I know you are."

"I would never do anything to hurt this village. Chouji is my friend I didn't think it would be like this."

"I know you would never harm the village. I'll explain to Kakashi what happened and he hopefully has calmed down enough to listen to me. Just go home and stay there for now."

"Ok"

Naruto got up off the couch and headed out of the apartment and down the street to his own. He now understood why everyone was so mad at him, but he was hoping that Iruka would be able to get Kakashi to understand that he didn't know he was doing a bad thing. Iruka had to admit he was surprised that it was Chouji that had told Naruto this information. Part of Iruka couldn't help, but wonder if Shikamaru had something to do with this. This all seemed too smart for Chouji and Iruka planned on speaking to Chouji when he got back from his mission. Iruka just had a feeling someone else was the mastermind behind all of this. Iruka headed out of his apartment to go over to Kakashi's to speak to him. He wasn't just going to let them bully Naruto, because they were upset that Sasuke had a panic attack. Kakashi needed some tough love and Iruka was going to give it to him.

Iruka knocked on Kakashi's apartment door and waited for him to answer. He didn't care if Itachi was there for not. Iruka was not going to be intimidated by him. Everyone knew that Itachi was powerful, but Iruka knew that Itachi didn't attack people for no reason. Itachi was intelligent and he wasn't about to risk losing his freedom over something like attacking someone. Kakashi opened his door and saw that Iruka was standing on the other side of it. Kakashi was really not in the mood to deal with Iruka, but he knew that this conversation was going to happen eventually. Kakashi stepped outside and closed the door behind him. If he was going to have this conversation he was not going to do it inside where he risked Sasuke hearing it. There was no guarantee how long Sasuke would be asleep for and Kakashi didn't want Sasuke waking up and hearing this conversation. Kakashi also didn't need Itachi to hear this. He didn't need Itachi to fight his own battles.

"What can I do for you Iruka?" Kakashi asked in a control voice.

"First I wanted to let you know that Naruto told me who told him those things. It was Chouji."

"I know. He wrote a letter to the newspaper and Shikamaru recognized his writing. What's the second thing?"

"The second thing I think is pretty obvious. You and Tsunade are being far too hard on Naruto and you both know it."

"First of all; I had nothing to do with her decision. Just like I have nothing to do with whatever decision she will have with Chouji. And second of all; we were not too hard on Naruto. Tsunade gave him the chance to tell her the truth, I gave him the chance last night and he disobeyed both of our orders. He disobeyed yours. He wasn't smart enough to see when he was being played and as a result Sasuke got hurt. That can't go unpunished. That can't go ignored. Naruto should be grateful that Tsunade is giving him a second chance. If it had been anyone else she would have stripped that ninja of their status and that would have been it. Tsunade is giving Naruto the chance to prove he can become more mature and intelligent."

"Not everyone is a genius and you don't have to be to be a ninja. Not all thirteen year olds will act like they are forty. He was the pawn in this plan and he shouldn't have been punished like this. I understand he disobeyed an order, but he didn't want to put one friend over the other. I have explained and he understands now the difference between a good and a bad promise. He shouldn't have lost his status over this. Chouji was the one that went to Naruto and I do not believe that Chouji is the mastermind behind all of this. Tsunade should be bringing Shikamaru down and questioning him about all of this. Chouji is not smart enough for something like this."

"Shikamaru had nothing to do with this. Shikamaru knows what Sasuke's state is and he wouldn't risk Sasuke slipping. Shikamaru is the only friend that Sasuke has and he wouldn't hurt him like this. Shikamaru had nothing to do with it and when Chouji gets back Shikamaru will be put in a difficult position. Chouji didn't just hurt Sasuke he hurt Shikamaru and it will be up to Chouji on what his fate in this village will be." Kakashi said annoyed.

"You are too close to Sasuke to see what is happening around him. You used to be neutral, you used to think everything through and now you are just acting on emotions. You know that Naruto didn't mean any harm yet you allowed Tsunade to crucify him over something this simple. You need to start showing Sasuke tough love instead of coddling him. If you cared about him you would make him leave and be on his own like his life hasn't changed."

"How dare you speak about Sasuke like you know him or what he is going through. You're damn right I care about him and I am not going to just throw him out like some piece of garbage. He's traumatized and still injured. It is his decision on when he goes outside and who he sees. I will be there for him no matter what and if he doesn't want to see someone I will be the first to throw them out. You are the one too close to someone. You are blinded to see what the true problem is with what Naruto has done. He could have put the village at risk and what's worse is he wouldn't have understood what he did wrong. You don't have to be a genius to be a ninja, but you do have to have common sense and that is something Naruto does not have." Kakashi said angrily.

Itachi opened the door and leaned against the door frame.

"My brother is sensitive to chakra. You both are angry and now he is awake from it. Someone care to tell me what is going on." Itachi said smoothly.

"Iruka was just leaving." Kakashi said in a stern voice.

Iruka looked like he was going to say anything, but he looked at Itachi and decided not to. Iruka started to walk away when Itachi spoke one last time.

"Iruka, if you have any concerns about my brother and how we are taking care of him. You can come and tell me them and not Kakashi." Itachi said in a deadly voice.

Iruka didn't say anything he just walked away and headed back down the street. Itachi looked over at Kakashi and could tell that he was upset. Most people wouldn't, but Itachi had known Kakashi since he was little and they were on the same ANBU squad together.

"What part of that meeting got you so angry?" Itachi asked.

"Is Sasuke okay?"

"He's fine. He's awake, but I haven't gone in to see him. It's not like you to get angry. He would have sensed it and thought something was wrong. Once he felt that no one was in danger he would have calmed down." Itachi said.

"I forgot that he was sensitive to emotions in charka."

"He always has been. His senses have always been stronger than most people. It's why I taught him how to meditate, to help control and train his senses. What did he say?"

"Just that Tsunade was too hard on Naruto. He told me that Naruto told him it was Chouji, but we already knew that. Iruka thinks that Chouji isn't smart enough to be behind all of this. He thinks Shikamaru was the one pulling all of the strings."

"That's not true. Shikamaru wouldn't do this to Sasuke. He was genuinely upset over Chouji being the one behind this."

"I agree and I told Iruka that, but he doesn't seem to believe it. He thinks I am too emotionally involved with Sasuke to do what is best for him. He thinks I need to make Sasuke leave and live on his own again. Show him tough love so he has no choice, but to get better."

"I can understand why you would be angry about that. Iruka tells you that you are too close to Sasuke, yet he is just as close to Naruto. You can't make him see your point of view and you can't make him change his. He will either accept it and move on or he won't."

"I want to live together. I want the three of us to live together. I think it would be good for Sasuke to have a form of family and a home."

"I agree. I'm going to speak to Sasuke about it and see how he feels. I think Sasuke having two constant people that love him in his life will really help him. I think he needs that support in his life. You are a good man Kakashi and I think Sasuke could really use another role model in his life. He could use another father in his life."

"I just hope he lets me."

"He let you into the operation room at the hospital. He asked you to be there, that's something. Sasuke is not good with life changes, but he does accept them and moves past them. He'll accept you as his father and over time he might even call you dad. If that is something you want then you need to be patent and make the effort. If you make the effort, that is what is going to show him that you care about him and not the Uchiha."

"I plan on making an effort and I hope he will let me in. I know it will take him some time, but I am hoping he will let me in eventually."

"He will, just give him some time and he will."

"Are you going to tell him about Chouji or do you want me to do it with you?"

"I think this is one conversation I need to have alone with him. I need him to be honest about how he is feeling and I don't know if he will do that with you there."

"That's okay I understand. I can always speak to him later if he wishes."

Itachi and Kakashi headed back inside and Itachi went straight to the bedroom to speak to Sasuke. He had only been asleep for less than four hours and Itachi wanted to make sure that he was feeling alright. He also wanted Sasuke to know that it was not Shikamaru who was behind all of this. Itachi made sure he grabbed the letter that Chouji wrote on his way to the bedroom. Itachi opened the bedroom door after knocking on it. Itachi went in and saw Sasuke sitting up in bed under the covers with a book in his hand. Itachi closed the door and went over and sat down on the bed.

"Who was here?" Sasuke softly asked.

"Iruka, he just wanted to speak to Kakashi."

"Obviously not about a mission. Kakashi was angry. Kakashi doesn't get angry."

"While you were asleep Shikamaru came by. He saw the newspaper and wanted to make sure you were alright. Shikamaru helped us figure out that Kakashi and Tsunade had a conversation about you going to the hospital and about the DNA test in her office. Kakashi went to Tsunade's office to speak to Naruto and Iruka. Shikamaru went to the newspaper office to speak to the author. The author, Kumni, received this letter from his source and Shikamaru was able to tell that the writing was Chouji's." Itachi said as he handed Sasuke the letter.

Sasuke looked down at the letter and read what was written on it. It was only three short sentences and it was very much to the point. Sasuke felt horrible that he thought Shikamaru was behind all of this. He should have known better.

"I can't believe I doubted him. I should have known better."

"You had every reason to believe that Shikamaru was behind this. As far as any of us knew only five people had this information and you knew four of them would never have said anything. Shikamaru was the logical choice. Chouji was the one behind all of this, how does that make you feel?"

"We're comrades or supposed to be. We were never close though so I can't say this hurts. I'm just glad that it's not Shikamaru. This isn't what made Kakashi angry though, so what else happened?"

"Naruto refused to give up Chouji. Tsunade ordered him to tell her, but he still refused. Tsunade felt that Naruto was too dangerous and couldn't be trusted as a ninja. She has stripped him of his ninja status and he is being placed back into the academy on the next starting term. Iruka was upset about it and is probably feeling like Tsunade was being too hard on him. Iruka thinks that Shikamaru was the mastermind behind everything. That he was just using Chouji to do the work. I think you know that is not true. Iruka felt that Kakashi was too emotionally involved in you to be making the right decisions. He felt that Kakashi needed to show you some tough love to make you get over what happened. That is what got Kakashi so angry."

"I really wish people would stop talking about me. Even if Kakashi is too emotionally involved with me, how is that a bad thing?"

"It's not a bad thing. Kakashi is emotionally involved with you. He cares a lot about you; even before he found out he was your father. It's up to you what you wish to do with that information."

"It's up to him if he wants something more. I wouldn't say no to having him around more and being a family, but I'm not going to beg for it. If he wants to know me and really does want me in his life then I guess I'll see if he means it or if it's just empty words."

"I don't think its empty words. Outside he told me how he would really like to live together the three of us. How would you feel about that?"

"Live where?"

"We could find a new house. One that none of us have lived in so it's a new start. Or we could live on the compound it's up to you. Is that something you would consider?"

"I can think about it."

"That's all I ask. How are you feeling? Did you try a pill?"

"I'm tired. I didn't take a pill yet, but I'm thinking about it. Sleeping twelve hours straight sounds really good right about now. Give my mind a break for a little while."

"I think that is a good idea. I think some uninterrupted sleep would do you wonders right now. You look so exhausted little brother."

"I feel exhausted. I'm not in too much pain anymore though, so that's a plus."

"Take a pill and get some sleep. Once you don't feel so tired then maybe we could go out in the backyard and move around a little bit. Get your legs used to working again and strengthening your muscles back up."

"Ok"

"No arguments to that?" Itachi lightly said.

"I have to do it. I can't just hide forever. I know I can't hide forever. Kakashi said I had to start to make steps, that I could do it when I was ready. I feel safer with you around and I think I'm ready to be outside with you around."

"I'll always protect you little brother. If you feel ready to be outside more and being around people then we can try that. We don't have to do it in large amounts we can be outside for a little while and slowly build up. I want you to know that I am proud of you. You've been through a lot and you have done very well. Most people would have let what happened destroy them, but not you. You have fought to survive and move on from this. You're winning the fight and I couldn't be more proud of you."

"Thanks Niisan."

"You going to take a pill?"

"Ya I am. Hopefully it will work and I can just sleep."

"I'm not going anywhere so if you need me just come get me."

"I will."

"Good night little brother, I love you."

"I love you."

Itachi made sure he grabbed the letter before he got up off the bed. He leaned down and kissed the top of Sasuke's head before he left the bedroom and headed back into the living room. Sasuke felt better now that he knew it wasn't Shikamaru that did this to him. He didn't like that it was Chouji, but he could deal with that. After everything that happened to him recently Sasuke really didn't see this as that hard to get over. Sasuke didn't like that the information came out this way, but he also knew that the information would come out at some point. Sasuke just wished he could have digested the information first before the whole village found out. Sasuke looked down at his wrists and pulled his sleeve up a little bit so he could see the cuts. Sasuke knew that if Itachi ever found out he would be disappointed in him. That should be enough for him to never do it again, but Sasuke just couldn't get passed how he felt after he did it. He felt like he could breathe that he was in control. He was even able to sleep without a nightmare for a few hours. Sasuke knew he shouldn't be doing it, but he just couldn't seem to care enough to stop. Sasuke pulled his sleeve back down and decided he would make this his little secret. He was confident that he would be able to stop when he was ready to. Sasuke reached over and grabbed the pill bottle and took one sleeping pill out. He took the pill and then laid down with his book. He figured he would fall asleep, but he decided until then he was just going to read and let the pill kick in.

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It wasn't until two in the afternoon the next day did Shikamaru come to Kakashi's home. He wanted to give Sasuke some time to adjust to everything that he found out. He wanted to give Sasuke some time to think and get his mind around what happened. Shikamaru was just glad that no one stopped to speak to him along the way home yesterday or to Kakashi's place. He really wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone asking him all of these questions and telling him what they thought of the situation. In the end Shikamaru agreed with Tsunade's decision and felt that she made the right call. If she couldn't trust Naruto to know the difference between a good and a bad promise; how could she trust him with the safety of innocent people? Shikamaru was just hoping Sasuke was alright and that he was able to sleep with the sleeping pills. Shikamaru knocked on Kakashi's door and waited for someone to answer. Kakashi answered a few moments later and offered Shikamaru a smile.

"Come on in Shikamaru."

Shikamaru and Kakashi headed towards the living room where Itachi was sitting.

"Hello Itachi."

"Shikamaru, how are you doing?" Itachi asked.

"I'll be fine once I speak to Chouji. I just need to know why."

"That's understandable. He's your best friend." Itachi said.

"Was." Shikamaru corrected.

"Shikamaru there is one thing I wanted to talk to you about." Kakashi said as he sat down on the couch.

"What's wrong?" Shikamaru asked with concern.

"Nothing is wrong. I just wanted to let you know that you can stop knocking on the door. You can just come in. I promise Itachi and I won't be doing anything inappropriate on the couch." Kakashi joked.

"You better not be." Itachi said.

"Okay I'm just going to ignore the later part of that sentence and say thank-you. How is Sasuke?" Shikamaru asked desperate for a change in topic.

"He is doing well. He slept sixteen hours straight. He's awake right now. I did tell him about everything that happened yesterday and he seems to be handling it very well." Itachi said.

"I'm gonna go see him."

"Do you want lunch Shikamaru?" Kakashi asked.

"I'm fine I ate before I came over. Thanks though."

"Tell Sasuke that if he doesn't come out to eat in the next hour I'm coming in to get him. Trust me he knows it's worse than it sounds." Itachi said with a smirk.

"I'll let him know." Shikamaru said with a smile.

Shikamaru headed down to Sasuke's bedroom and knocked before he entered. Shikamaru walked in and saw that Sasuke was sitting on the bed with a notebook in his lap with his legs up to his chest and he was writing in the book. Sasuke looked up and saw that it was Shikamaru who walked into the room.

"Hey Sasuke."

"I am so sorry." Sasuke said knowing that Shikamaru already knew he thought it was him that told the newspaper and Naruto his information.

"Don't be. The conclusion you came to was a natural thought process. As far as you knew only five people knew this information and you knew four of them would never say anything. If our positions were reversed I would have thought it was you as well. So you have nothing to be sorry for." Shikamaru said as he sat down on the bed.

"I still should have known better."

"Trusting people is hard for you and based on your past I don't blame you. Don't worry about it. Like I said I would have blamed you to. You look a lot better after some sleep. You're not as pale. How are you feeling?"

"Better now that I was able to sleep. The pain is really starting to go away so that helps."

"That's good. Itachi wanted me to tell you that if you don't come out to eat in the next hour he was coming in. Apparently that is supposed to sound more threatening than the actual words." Shikamaru said lightly.

"Ya he can't intimidate me. I know he's a softy, but I'll go out and eat something soon."

"What are you writing?"

"What am I writing? How about how are you feeling? Chouji's your best friend, you can't tell me what happened doesn't bother you."

"He was my best friend. I don't know what I feel. I feel hurt and betrayed. Chouji's goal was to hurt you, but he hurt me at the same time. He had to of known I would have gotten hurt by his actions and he still did it anyways. I need to talk to him and I can't do that for six days right now. I have no idea what Tsunade's punishment is going to be. If Chouji is still a ninja, how am I supposed to work on the same squad as him? How can I trust him to have my back after this?"

"I have no idea. Trusting someone with your life is supposed to be the biggest trust out there. Except in our world trusting someone with yourself and heart seems to be harder and more important. We trust strangers with our lives based on their skills and rank. Nowhere in the academy did we learn what to do when one breaks your trust. Have you talked to anyone about this? Your parents or Asuma?"

"No, my parents don't know it was Chouji yet. They asked how I felt about the article, but it's not my life out there, it's yours. The words in the article doesn't affect me. The person behind it affects me and I can't tell anyone yet who that is. I could talk to Asuma, he already knows, but I really want to talk to Chouji and find out why first. He's always been so caring and nice. Part of me is hoping someone else is behind this and Chouji didn't have a choice."

"You don't believe that though."

"No I don't. This is all over something so stupid. He was upset that we weren't spending time together anymore. It was such an easy fix. Yet he had to go and do this. I can't be friends with him after this. He changed and I can't trust him. I can't be friends with someone I don't trust. Did Itachi tell you about Naruto?"

"Ya he did."

"What do you think?"

"I think Naruto means well. I really do. He's not the type to do something vindictive or hurtful. I think he believes that showing up at the hospital was doing a good thing. I think he believed protecting Chouji was doing a good thing. He's an idiot and it's hard to hate him for it. I think having to go back to the academy will force Naruto to grow up. As much as it's going to suck for him, I think he needs this. I would still trust him with my life and in time I'm sure we can move past this. I really believe he had good intentions through all of this, but just wasn't intelligent enough to know what to do."

"That sounds a lot like Naruto. At the end of the day Chouji was the one to manipulate Naruto's care for you and used it against him. I don't blame Naruto either for not being smart enough to see around it. Hopefully he does grow up and starts to take things a little more cautiously and seriously."

Sasuke could tell that Shikamaru was really upset about everything and Sasuke knew he was hurting more than he was. So Sasuke decided he would change the topic and try to get Shikamaru in a better mood.

"I'm writing a pros and cons list. Well I'm trying anyways, but I really can't come up with that many cons."

"Pros and cons for what?"

"Itachi said that we needed to figure out our living situation. He's leaving it to me to decide. It's not really a where to live, but a who to live with. I have to decide if I want to live with just Itachi or with Itachi and Kakashi."

"Does Kakashi want to live with you both?"

"He's never said it to me, but yesterday he told Itachi that he would really like the three of us to live together. I don't have a problem with us living together, but it's the status of us living together. I have to decide if I want Kakashi as a sensei or as a member of the family."

"That's a huge step and a huge decision. How do you feel about all of it?"

"Pros and cons to it all really. I don't mind the idea of all three of us living together. It makes sense. I mean we're living together now so why not get a place that's bigger. I know growing up he didn't know that I was his, but he did know the possibility that I was and he didn't do anything. I don't want to get my hopes up only to be abandoned again. Right now he says he wants to be there for me and get to know me, but how is he going to feel six months from now? How do I know that he means what he says and he's just not saying it because it sounds good?"

"Let me ask you this. How would you feel if Kakashi was in your life as a parent and not a sensei?"

"Itachi has always been the parent. Growing up it made sense and it was fine, it worked for us. Now though, it's not really working. I'm older and there are things I only want to tell my brother and not my father. Now that I'm older it's getting more complicated and it's not working as well as it used to. It might be nice to just have Itachi as a brother. Maybe Kakashi would be a good father. We've always gotten along and he seems to understand me. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad."

"I really think you should talk to him and see what he says. I think you need to ask yourself if never knowing is better than knowing and risking yourself being hurt. If you let Kakashi in as a father figure and you get hurt in the end would you regret it or would you regret never finding out?"

"I think maybe we should start off slow. Get to know each other and see how it goes. He's my father, but I don't love him, but maybe one day I will. Maybe we could really be a family. I know I'll regret not trying, but at the same time I don't want to get hurt."

"You need to talk to him and tell him what you feel and think of everything. You need to see how he feels and then you'll be able to make a decision."

"Another major decision to make."

"Is there another one you want to talk about?"

"I don't think I'm going to be a ninja anymore."

"Does that bother you?"

"No. To be honest I feel relieved. Just not sure how the village will react to it and this whole Sound thing isn't over yet. Plus the Akatsuki and that potential war. Kinda feel like I'm being selfish walking away."

"That's not selfish. You can't please everyone and you shouldn't make your life about pleasing everyone. You have to do what will make you happy. There's no point in you being a ninja if it makes you unhappy. I know Kakashi, Itachi and Tsunade will support any decision you make."

"I know they will."

"What will you do if you're not a ninja?"

"Go to school to become a detective. I want to open the police station again sometime in the future. I've always loved the idea since I was a kid to be a detective. Maybe now is the right time to follow that dream."

"I think you need to do what will make you happy. I will support your decision for whenever you decide."

"Thanks"

"I was going to go to the library. I got some books yesterday about medical aid and injuries. I was going to see if there were a few other books about healing techniques. It's only ten minutes from here, do you want to come?"

"To the library?" Sasuke said unsure.

"Ya. I'm sure you have finished some of those books Itachi picked up for you. It's only a ten minute walk and you said the pain was better. Besides it's not like you'll see anyone you know in the library."

"That's true."

"Come on. It's only a little time outside. You know just as well as I do that no one is going to say anything to you or do anything, because they are afraid of Itachi. You said you needed to get out to help remove the anxiety. Come on it'll be fine."

Sasuke knew he needed to get outside more to end the anxiety. If he could get the anxiety gone then it was one less problem he had. Sasuke knew that Shikamaru would keep anyone away from him and it was just the library. It wasn't like he was going to some party down the block.

"Ok"

"Alright let's go." Shikamaru said with a smile.

Shikamaru and Sasuke got up off the bed. Sasuke was wearing a long sleeved shirt with a pair of light colored jeans. He grabbed the two books that he had already finished reading and they headed out into the living room. Itachi was sitting down in the chair and Kakashi was leaning against the island counter top waiting for the kettle to boil.

"We're um… gonna go to the library okay?" Sasuke asked Itachi a little unsure. He didn't know if Itachi would be happy about him leaving without him.

"Ok. How long do you think you'll be?" Itachi asked and hid all of the surprise from his voice.

"About an hour max." Shikamaru answered.

"Alright, have fun." Itachi said.

"Here the books are under my card." Kakashi said as he held out his library card to Sasuke.

"Thanks" Sasuke said as he took the library card.

Shikamaru and Sasuke headed out and Itachi couldn't help, but look at Kakashi surprised.

"Shikamaru really is a genius. He's somehow managed to trick Sasuke into going outside." Itachi said.

"Shikamaru knows that Sasuke needs to get outside to remove the anxiety and the library is a good start. After some sleep Sasuke seems to be in better shape and a better mood. Hopefully he's on the path to healing mentally and emotionally from this."

"I hope so."

Itachi didn't know how well this trip would go over, but he was hoping that Sasuke was able to do it without having an anxiety attack. The library was only ten minutes up the street, but still to Itachi it seemed like a whole village away.

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It was forty-five minutes later when Sasuke came back inside. Kakashi was sitting on the couch reading and Itachi was in the shower. Shikamaru headed home so he would be there for dinner with his family. Sasuke had gotten a few more books from the library to read and he was glad that he had gone. Sasuke went over to the chair and sat down.

"How was the library?"

"It was fine. Thanks for the card." Sasuke handed Kakashi back his library card. Kakashi took it and put it away in his pocket.

"How was the trip to the library?" Kakashi asked with concern.

"Terrify for the first ten minutes, but it got easier."

"Good. Your brother is in the shower."

"I know he's been in there for five minute now." Sasuke said with a smile.

"Does that ever get weird or bother you? You can sense where he is in the village and he can sense where you are. He knows when you are awake or eating. Doesn't that ever bother you?"

"Not really. It's not like he knows everything I'm doing. I could go down to the store and he wouldn't know what store I was at, just the area. It's not like he knows every single thing I do. It's nice to know that if I'm in trouble he'll sense it and if I'm close enough he'll be able to find me."

"I can see how that would be comforting to have. A ninja's greatest fear is being in trouble and no one ever finding them. You at least know you have Itachi who might be able to find you right away."

"Ya"

"Sasuke I think we need to talk."

"About the article?"

"I know this is new to you. It's new to me. I would really like to know how you feel about this. How you feel about maybe the three of us living together."

"Do you want to be my father?" Sasuke asked softly and Kakashi could hear the slight fear in his voice.

"I know Itachi will always be your father to you. He's your brother, but for seven years he raised you and took care of you. I would never try to replace Itachi in your life and in your heart. That being said though, I would like to be another father in your life."

"For what a month? Six months? How long before you get tired of it and walk away? My own parents didn't want me. Itachi left when I was seven. You left before I was even born. I can't handle being abandoned again. How do I know you won't walk away to?" Sasuke asked sadly.

"Sasuke I made a huge mistake when I was sixteen to not push for a DNA test. That was the biggest mistake of my life and I will regret it to my dying day. I wish I could make up for all those years that you had to push through alone. I wish I could go back in time and change it. I can't though, but I can change the future. I'm not going anywhere. I want to be another father to you. If that is something you want then you are not getting rid of me until I die. I know it's just words right now and words are hard to believe, but I am asking you to believe me. I'll never abandon you."

"Ok. Maybe we can try." Sasuke said softly.

"Is that something you want? It really is up to you Sasuke. If you don't want to then that's ok I understand. I don't want you to feel pressured into doing this."

"I know. I want to try. It would be nice to have someone else to talk to besides Itachi. I'm grateful for what he did growing up, but it's not that easy anymore. I really just want him to be my big brother. We get along so maybe we would be able to be father and son."

"I would really like that Sasuke."

"Me to." Sasuke said softly.

The bathroom door opened and Itachi walked out into the living room. Itachi was anxious to see how well Sasuke's library trip went. Itachi came out to see Sasuke and Kakashi talking and he was hoping that they were able to talk about the article a bit. Itachi knew that Sasuke needed to speak to Kakashi about everything and Itachi was hoping that Sasuke did. Itachi sat down on the couch before he spoke.

"How was the library little brother?"

"It was fine. I got some new books to read. No one bothered me either."

"Good. How was it being outside after the article came out?" Itachi asked.

"People looked, but they were going to do that no matter what. Honestly the article coming out really doesn't bother me that much. It was bound to come out eventually. I wish it didn't come out that way, but it happened. There's nothing I can do about it and at least this way I don't have to explain it over and over again. Besides after everything it's kinda the least of my problems."

"I'm glad that it doesn't bother you. I think you are right there are other problems that you should be more focused on. This article is something that people will forget about quicker than you think." Itachi said.

"I wanted to talk to you both about something."

"What's on your mind?" Kakashi asked.

"Niisan you asked me to think about the three of us living together. I did and I think we should, but not on the compound."

"I agree. I think if the three of us are going to live together we need a fresh start. A place where none of us have lived in. A place with no memories, but the ones we make." Kakashi said.

"We can speak to Tsunade, I'm sure she has some places available. I think the three of us need to stay together." Itachi said.

"Have you thought anymore of if you wish to continue being a ninja?" Kakashi asked.

"I have actually. That's the other thing I wanted to talk about." Sasuke said unsurely.

"Whatever your decision is Sasuke we will support you one hundred percent." Itachi said.

"We both just want you to be happy no matter what." Kakashi said.

"I think something positive has to come from what happened. I think now would be a really good time to follow my dream and go to school."

"I couldn't agree more little brother. You need to stop trying to please the dead. You need to do what will make you happy even if that means you won't be a ninja anymore." Itachi said with a smile.

"You're young Sasuke. If you don't follow your dreams at your age then as adults we aren't doing our job right. At the end of the day all adults, all older ninja do what we do to make sure that the children can follow their dreams. If being a ninja isn't your dream then I will never stop encouraging you to follow your own dream and not what is expected from a Clan. There's a school in the village over isn't there?" Kakashi asked Itachi.

"There is. I don't know when the starting date is, but we can find out. When you are feeling better and up for the trip we can go and find out. It's only about twenty minutes from the village so it wouldn't be far to go each day. We can speak to them and see what needs to be done. You might have to take an aptitude test to see what level you would be placed in and we can check out which courses there are. Do you have an idea of what you would like to take?"

"I'd like to be a detective; maybe open the police station again."

"We can find out what courses the school offers and what needs to be done to get you registered. I'm only going to ask you this once and then I won't ask you again. Are you one hundred percent positive this is something you want to do?" Itachi asked.

"I am. I still want to train just in case something happens, but I don't want to be a ninja."

"Keeping up on your training would be a good idea. At least until the Sound is completely taken care of. It's important for you to be able to protect yourself." Kakashi said.

"I know and if something ever happened in Konoha I would want to help if I could. I just want to be me though."

"You have every right to want to just be yourself. Being a ninja isn't for everyone. You tried and it doesn't make you happy. You need to do whatever will make you happy. I can speak to Tsunade about you resigning and we can get some information from the school to see what we need to do." Itachi said.

"Ok" Sasuke said.

"Good, now it's time to cook some dinner. Do you feel up to helping?" Itachi asked.

"Are you cooking?"

"I am."

"Well then I have to help, because unless it's grilled cheese you suck at cooking." Sasuke said with a smile.

"I do not suck at cooking." Itachi said as he got up from the couch and headed into the kitchen.

"Yes he does." Sasuke whispered to Kakashi before he got up from the chair. Kakashi smiled at Sasuke before he got up as well to help. The three of them worked together to make dinner. Sasuke was careful of what he did and he spent most of his time sitting on the stool at the island while cutting up some vegetables. It was the first time since he was seven that he actually was starting to feel at home.

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It was a week later and Chouji was due to return within the hour. Tsunade had sent for Kakashi, Asuma and Chouza to be there for when Chouji would return. Kakashi was the first to show up at Tsunade's office.

"Kakashi."

"Tsunade-Sama." Kakashi said as he stood in front of Tsunade.

"You're early that's either a good sign or a bad sign."

"I wanted to speak to you about something first."

"What is it?"

"Itachi was going to speak to you, but I said I would do it. I was coming anyways and we still don't want to leave Sasuke alone just yet. Sasuke has decided that he doesn't want to be a ninja anymore."

Tsunade let out a sigh. "I had a feeling that was going to happen. Men three times his age have quit after being tortured for a lot less than what Sasuke went through. I had a feeling he wouldn't be coming back. I won't try to change his mind and I just need some forms filled out by you or Itachi. I also need a form filled out for which one of you would be claiming legal guardianship."

"Can it only be one?"

"No, it could be both of you. It's up to you both to decide how you would like to do it. You are his biological father, but Itachi did sign the birth certificate as Sasuke's father so you both are his father. It's up to you two how you want to make decisions."

"I'll speak to Itachi and see what he thinks about the situation."

"What is Sasuke going to do?"

"He wants to go to school in the village over. He wants to be a detective and maybe open the police station one day."

"Do you have the papers?"

"Not yet."

Tsunade went over to her filing cabinet in the room and opened a drawer. She pulled out a folder and went back over to her desk. She spoke as she went through the pages in the folder.

"A new school year won't start for another six months. Sasuke will need to fill these forms out and have one of you sign them. This is a course booklet so he can look through. He also needs to do this aptitude test to see what grade level he would be at. My best guess, because of his age though would be to start out in grade nine and work is way up. His intelligence will most likely come back as a grade ten or a grade eleven level, but with his age I think starting from grade nine would be best. That also gives him four years to learn everything he can and he'll be older and it will be easier to command respect at almost eighteen compared to sixteen. Fill out the forms and have him take the test, the school is open from eight in the morning until five at night, Monday through Friday. It is open for visitors so you could take Sasuke one day to see the school and drop off the forms." Tsunade handed Kakashi the set of forms and course booklet.

"Thank-you. I'll let Itachi and Sasuke know. We have also decided that we are going to live together, but not on the compound."

"I'm assuming you would like a house."

"More room would be nice. Sasuke also still wants to train so the backyard would be helpful."

"I have some three bedroom homes available. I'll give you the listings that I have they vary from price range. I'm sure you and Itachi will speak about it and let me know."

Tsunade said as she went into her desk drawer and pulled out some homes that were available for rent and sale. She handed them over to Kakashi as well.

"I'll speak to Itachi and we'll let you know."

"It seems like Sasuke has been making some life decisions. That's good that he is trying to move forward."

"He's been taking the sleeping pills and he's sleeping all night now. I think that has helped with his mood and depression. Sasuke knows that Itachi is giving him three months before he wants Sasuke to cut down on the pills and work through the nightmares. I think a new home and going to school will really help Sasuke move passed everything. It's a fresh start and that's exactly what he needs right now."

"Good I'm glad the sleeping pills are working. I hope he is able to heal from everything and find happiness. As the Hokage of Konoha I want all the children to be happy and to follow their dreams. Sasuke more than deserves to follow his dreams."

There was a knock on the door and Asuma walked in. He didn't look happy at all and they couldn't blame him. This was a member of his squad. Chouji was his responsibility and his job to train and teach him right from wrong. Now Chouji was going to be questioned about all of this and depending on his answers he might never be a ninja again. This wasn't a situation that any sensei wanted to be in especially with someone as young as thirteen.

"Are you ready for this?" Kakashi asked Asuma.

"Were you?" Asuma asked back.

"No, I wasn't. This isn't something a sensei wants to ever do." Kakashi answered honestly.

"How's Sasuke?" Asuma asked.

"He's doing better. He's been taking a sleeping pill so he's sleeping and that is helping his body heal faster. He's worried about Shikamaru with Chouji coming back today."

"So am I. I hope this will work out and Chouji will admit to what he did and why he did it."

"If he does I will take that into consideration. I won't know what punishment will be issued until I hear from Chouji. I hope he does the right thing and tells me the truth." Tsunade said.

There was a knock at the door and Chouza and Chouji walked into the office. Kakashi and Asuma moved around so they were on either side of Tsunade.

"You wanted to speak to myself and Chouji Tsunade-Sama." Chouza said.

"Sit down both of you." Tsunade said with a controlled voice.

Chouza and Chouji sat down in the chairs opposite of Tsunade's desk. They both didn't know what this was about, but Chouji had an idea.

"Is something wrong Hokage-Sama?" Chouza asked.

"Chouji, I am only going to give you one chance to tell the truth. You know what this is about. I already know what you did and I am only going to give you one chance to admit to it. So decide how you want your life to go." Tsunade said in a serious voice.

"Chouji what is she talking about?" Chouza asked in a serious voice.

"I don't know, I've been gone a week for this mission." Chouji said with confusion in his voice.

"Naruto already told us you sent him to the hospital to speak to Sasuke. Shikamaru already confirmed it was your writing in the letter to the author for the article." Kakashi said.

"Is this about that article in the paper? Chouji, did you have something to do with that?" Chouza asked.

"Chouji now is not the time to lie." Asuma said.

"Naruto thought he could play dumb. He thought he could keep quiet about your involvement. He has been stripped of his ninja status and is being placed back into the academy. I will not tolerate what has been done to Sasuke or to anyone in this village. I will not hesitate to do the same to you." Tsunade said.

"Chouji the truth right now." Chouza said with anger in his voice.

"He's just using Shikamaru. Sasuke doesn't care about him at all. He's only using Shikamaru until he is healed enough, then he'll go back to being a jerk to everyone. Shikamaru is too good for someone like Sasuke." Chouji said with disgust in his voice.

"Chouji what did you do?" Chouza asked with anger in his voice.

"Nothing that Sasuke didn't deserve. He was being ridiculous and he's hurting Shikamaru. I wasn't going to let someone like Sasuke take Shikamaru from me. He's my best friend and Sasuke was only going to hurt him. I tried to tell him, but he wouldn't listen. I did what I had to do to protect Shikamaru."

"What happened?" Chouza asked Tsunade knowing she would give him a straight answer.

"Chouji went to Naruto's apartment and told him that Sasuke wanted to see him. Said that Sasuke was afraid that Naruto thought differently of him and he had to make sure Sasuke understood that nothing had changed. Sasuke had to get some tests done at the hospital and Chouji told Naruto what time. Chouji overheard a conversation that I had with Kakashi and that is where he got the information about the DNA and the hospital. Naruto did show up and caused Sasuke to have a panic attack so severe I had to administer a sedative to get his heart rate back to a safe level. Naruto refused to tell us who told him about the hospital. You already know what his punishment was. Chouji then wrote a letter to the newspaper and now everyone in the village knows about Sasuke's private and personal information. What is worse is the reason behind why he did it. Even you can't defend him or his actions." Tsunade said.

"Chouji, why would you do this to Sasuke? He's injured and went through something traumatizing. You should be trying to help him instead you are just hurting him and Shikamaru. You know better than this." Asuma said.

"Why would I help Sasuke? He's never helped anyone. All he does is act like he is so great and is a jerk to everyone. He deserved what happened to him, maybe now he won't be such an ass to everyone. He's no better than any of us from the academy. Sasuke doesn't deserve Shikamaru's friendship and all Sasuke has done is used him. I wasn't going to let Shikamaru be hurt by that bastard. I wasn't going to lose my best friend to him." Chouji said with anger in his voice.

"I don't even know what to say to you. Your mother and I raised you better than this and this is how you repay us? I can't even look at you right now. Are there going to be charges?" Chouza asked Tsunade.

"Kakashi, do you want to press charges for the information released about you?" Tsunade asked.

"No." Kakashi said with anger. He couldn't believe what Chouji was saying about Sasuke. Sasuke didn't deserve anything that happened to him and he didn't deserve this.

"I think you are very lucky that Uchiha Itachi is not here for this meeting. I'm sure your father could explain why pissing off Uchiha Itachi would be incredibly stupid. He ever hears you saying those things about his brother he will very quickly forget that you are just thirteen. I highly doubt Sasuke will press charges, but that doesn't make your punishment any less. Your reasoning behind your actions is worse than your actions. Naruto is just immature and slightly dumb. You are being cruel just because. As such you are stripped of your ninja status and you are band from being not only a ninja, but your chakra. You are band from all training and your chakra will be sealed off to make sure you can't use it. I will not have the likes of you wearing a Konoha symbol." Tsunade said.

"That's not fair. Sasuke can treat people like dirt and use them, but he's still allowed to be a ninja. Sasuke is the one that shouldn't be a ninja. Sasuke is the one that thinks he's better than everyone. He deserves to be punished for the way he's acted towards everyone." Chouji said with anger.

"Chouji do not say a single word further. You are lucky that charges are not being pressed. If you think Tsunade-Sama is being unfair you have yet to get home to me and your mother. Now hand over your headband and we are leaving." Chouza said with anger.

Chouji was clearly not happy about this, but he knew better than to anger his father any more than he already was. Chouji removed his headband and placed it down on Tsunade's desk. The look of anger was all over Chouji's face, but the adults just didn't care. Chouji was cruel towards Sasuke and for no good reason; all because Sasuke and Shikamaru were friends now. It was pathetic and juvenile. Two things that Tsunade was not going to tolerate happening in her village, especially with her ninjas.

"My apologises to all of you and to Sasuke. I hope he has recovered from the panic attack and is back to healing." Chouza said sincerely.

"Sasuke has people who care about him there by his side. He is doing much better now." Kakashi said honestly before he turned to Chouji. "You don't know Itachi, but I'm sure your father will fill you in on him. The only thing stopping Itachi from hurting you or Naruto is your age. If it were up to him he would show you exactly how Sasuke felt when he was being tortured. Itachi seems to think that would help you both understand why Sasuke isn't magically over it yet. Itachi does have limits though and he will hold a grudge. You won't be thirteen forever remember that, because in five years if you decide to keep at this Itachi will do something then to you. I suggest you let this go or your family may very well be burying you in five years, assuming they find your body." Kakashi said seriously to Chouji.

"He will not be going near Sasuke. I'm not about to push Itachi's patience. Please let him know that Chouji will be punished for this for a very long time." Chouza said.

"Shikamaru knows that it was you, but he doesn't know why. You can expect him to be showing up today to get answers. He will also come to Kakashi or myself and we will tell him the truth. It's up to you if you want him to hear the truth from you or from one of us." Asuma said.

"Shikamaru knows I'm right. He's smart he can see that Sasuke is just using him. Shikamaru will walk away once he's done toying with Sasuke. Shikamaru is my friend, not Sasuke's." Chouji said with anger.

"Shikamaru is free to spend time with whoever he likes. I think you are in for a rude awakening when you speak to Shikamaru. He does not see things your way at all." Kakashi said.

"Stay away from Sasuke or I will not stop Itachi from coming to speak to you next. Chouza, get your son out of my sight." Tsunade said.

"Yes Hokage-Sama."

Chouza got up and looked at Chouji who then in return got up as well. They both left the office, but the tension was still in the room. Kakashi couldn't believe that Chouji didn't have any remorse for what he had done. He was acting like Sasuke deserved what happened to him. Sasuke was just a child, one that lost his family at the young age of seven. Of course that would change a person, how could it not? Sasuke had to bury his entire family and then live in the same house that his parents were killed in. It wouldn't have been easy on Sasuke and it would have only made him more anti-social as time went on. Sasuke lost everything that night, including Itachi. Now he finally had Itachi back and now knows the truth about everything, but that didn't just make his problems go away. Sasuke was turned into the person that he was by Konoha's own doing. The adults in Konoha should have stepped up and done something to help Sasuke over the years, but they didn't. They ignored Sasuke, because of his name and Kakashi was not going to let that happen to him again. Kakashi was going to make sure that Sasuke didn't slip through the cracks this time. He was going to be there to help Itachi raise Sasuke and be his family and support system.

"I was really hoping it wasn't him." Asuma said sadly.

"So was I. I was hoping this was some kind of mistake, that someone transformed into Chouji to execute this plan. Unfortunately that is not the case. I'll have Ibiki go over to Chouza's home and seal Chouji's charka. He can't be trusted and I have no choice. It happens to all ninja who are terminated from their status. I can't risk someone going after the village." Tsunade said.

"It's a shame that Chouji did this. I have never seen that anger in him before. He seems to truly believe that what he did was right and that Shikamaru will stand by him. When he finds out otherwise hopefully he doesn't come looking for Sasuke." Kakashi said.

"If he does then tell Itachi he is more than welcome to handle the situation. I know Itachi won't kill him, but maybe it will make Chouji learn something." Tsunade said.

"I'll let him know. I should be getting back there; both Itachi and Sasuke are anxiously waiting to hear about this. I'm sure I'll see Shikamaru today, but if you see him first tell him I'm sorry for this." Kakashi said to Asuma.

"I will, but I'm sure Sasuke is who he'll want to see first." Asuma answered back.

"Probably. Thank-you Tsunade-Sama. If you need me you know where I'll be."

"With Itachi now in the village and being there for Sasuke, think about going back to doing mission. Let me know when you decide." Tsunade said.

"I'll speak to Sasuke and Itachi about it and I will let you know. Maybe after we move." Kakashi answered honestly.

"The three of you are going to live together?" Asuma asked.

"We are. Itachi and I gave Sasuke the choice and he was fine with it. He won't admit it, but he actually likes the idea."

"So are you two going to try and be more than just student and sensei?" Asuma asked.

"We won't be student and sensei. Sasuke is quitting and he wants to go to school. We're going to try to be more and see how it goes. It will be a process, but one that I am more than happy to take."

"I hope it works out for all three of you. I'm sure Itachi is relieved to have the extra help."

"He is."

"How is Itachi handling everything? I know he must have his own problems after his mission." Tsunade asked.

"Itachi has always been good at hiding how he feels. The only time he doesn't is around Sasuke. I think he's dealing well with everything. Some nights he doesn't sleep or he'll go and sleep in Sasuke's bed with him. Itachi will be fine soon enough and when Sasuke is ready he'll go back to work." Kakashi answered.

"Well they are both rich so it's not like there is any hurry for them. The Uchiha Clan was the richest Clan on this half of the world, so there's no rush for either of them. I want Itachi back on missions, but I want him ready for it." Tsunade said.

"Once Sasuke is healthy and in school, I'm sure Itachi will go back to work. I don't know if he's thinking about missions or teaching I'm not sure."

"Either would be fine by me. Itachi would make a great teacher and every parent in this village would be lining their child up just to see if Itachi will teach them." Tsunade said.

"I'd be lining up to see if he would teach me." Asuma joked.

Kakashi and Tsunade gave a smile to that. The thing was; it was true. A lot of ninja would kill to have the chance to learn from Itachi. He was one of the best that Konoha ever produced. It didn't matter where he spent the last nine years. He was still a legend and highly respected in the village.

"I'll get Sasuke to fill these forms out and we'll see about a house. I'll let you know." Kakashi said.

"Thank-you Kakashi." Tsunade said.

"I'll see you around." Asuma said.

"You know where I am." Kakashi said as he headed for the door and headed out of the office.

Kakashi knew that Sasuke wouldn't be too upset over what Chouji had to say. He was going to be more concerned about Shikamaru and what conversation he would have with Chouji. Kakashi was sure that by the end of the day the forms would be filled out and a house would be picked. All three of them really wanted this and for the first time in close to ten years Kakashi actually felt like he had a home and a family.

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Chouji and Chouza walked through their front door. No one had said anything the whole way home and Chouji knew that his father was mad at him. The problem was Chouji didn't understand why. He knew that Shikamaru would understand why he did it and he would be happy that he did. Shikamaru would see that Sasuke was just using him and he would be thankful that Chouji was able to end their fake friendship. Chouji was just looking out for his best friend. Chouza didn't see it that way and the fact that Chouji did scared Chouza. Chouji had never been like this. He had always been nice and caring. It was disturbing for Chouza to see his son acting this way, especially when Sasuke didn't do anything to deserve this. If Sasuke and Shikamaru were friends that was between them and Chouji didn't have any right to try and ruin their friendship or feel threatened by it. Shikamaru and Chouji were best friends and they still could have been if it wasn't for what Chouji just did. Chouza couldn't see Shikamaru wanting to continue their friendship after this. If it hadn't been to this extreme Shikamaru may have been able to forgive and forget, but this was something that wasn't easy to move past. Shikamaru has strong morals and he believes in not hurting people, especially comrades. Chouza really didn't see this ending well and he was hoping he could get Chouji to understand where he went wrong. They were standing in the living room when Chouza started the conversation off.

"Chouji what you did was wrong and I am very disappointed with you right now."

"I didn't do anything wrong. I was protecting Shikamaru from Sasuke. I was protecting my friend."

"No you weren't. You were being jealous and selfish. If you wanted to do something for Shikamaru you could have put your feelings aside and accepted their friendship. Instead your actions have not only caused Sasuke to have a severe panic attack, but you have just ruined your friendship with Shikamaru."

"Shikamaru will thank me for doing this for him. I was protecting him from Sasuke and him using Shikamaru."

"You know Shikamaru better than anyone. You can't honestly believe that Shikamaru will stand by what you have done. You didn't like Shikamaru and Sasuke being friends; now by your own actions you just made them become closer. I have never in my life been more angry and disappointed before. You're grounded. You don't go anywhere, but to the bathroom and back to your room. You do not leave this house."

"For how long?" Chouji asked annoyed.

"I don't know. I won't know until I speak to your mother when she returns in an hour. Now get up to your room." Chouza said with anger in his voice.

Chouji headed upstairs and into his room. He was angry that his father didn't understand why he had to do this. Chouji was hoping that Shikamaru would be able to help his father understand all of this. Chouji knew that Shikamaru would understand and be on his side in this. Shikamaru was his best friend and he wouldn't pick Sasuke over him.

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Kakashi returned home to see Sasuke and Itachi sitting in the living room. He knew they would be anxious to see what had happened and if Chouji had admitted to anything. Kakashi headed over to the chair and sat down.

"How did it go?" Sasuke didn't wait to ask.

"About as well as it could have gone." Kakashi said as he placed the papers in his hand on the coffee table.

"What are they?" Itachi asked.

"I'll explain later."

"So what happened?" Sasuke asked.

"Asuma and Chouza were there for the meeting as well. Chouji finally admitted to being the one behind all of this. Chouza was not happy at all, especially after he found out why Chouji did this. Chouji seems to believe that Shikamaru will be happy with what he has done. He said some mean things about you, things that aren't important and don't need to be repeated. In the end Tsunade believed that Chouji couldn't be trusted. She has stripped him of his ninja status and is having Ibiki seal his chakra away so he can't have access to it. Tsunade and myself also made it very clear that it would be in Chouji's best interest to stay away from you. We may have mentioned Itachi's name in the conversation and that made Chouza take action. He made Chouji hand over his headband and he didn't argue when Tsunade said Chouji's chakra would be sealed."

"Itachi wouldn't hurt a thirteen year old though." Sasuke said in Itachi's defense.

"He wouldn't and we all know that. I may have mentioned that Itachi would hurt an eighteen year old. Chouji won't always be a child, if he keeps this up one day he will be eighteen and fair game for your brother."

"His age is the only thing keeping him safe." Itachi confirmed.

"Shikamaru will be seeing Chouji and he will be coming by here afterwards to speak to you Sasuke I'm sure. He's going to need support."

"I'll be there for him. So that's all that happened?" Sasuke asked.

"That's it. Tsunade can't trust Chouji to learn from this. She didn't have a choice and Chouza didn't even argue with her about it, especially after what Chouji said about it."

"What are the papers then?" Itachi asked.

"A few things that we need to go over. I told Tsunade that you were quitting so there are some papers you need to sign. Tsunade is perfectly fine with you leaving and she understands. She also gave me some information about the school. It starts again in six months. She gave me the aptitude test for you to take. She did suggest that you start at the first year. There are four years and she felt that because of your age it would be better for you to start at year one and then when you graduate you will be almost seventeen. She feels that the older you are the easier it will be for you to earn respect in the work field. She said take the aptitude test and see what level they put you in, but she wants you to consider just starting at year one."

"Well that is something we can consider and talk about. I would agree that starting from the beginning might be better for you. There should be more people your age in the first year." Itachi said.

"She also gave me a course booklet for you to go through. The school is also open right now and we can go and do a walk through when you are feeling up to it. She also gave me the papers you will need to apply."

"Ok so I can at least see what they have to offer." Sasuke said.

"Exactly. She also gave me papers for houses that are available we can go through them. There is one other paper that needs to be filled out. It's for your guardianship Sasuke. Tsunade needs it filled out now that Itachi is back. She was wondering if you were just going to have Itachi as your legal guardian or if you wanted me as well on it. It's up to you." Kakashi said.

"Well it would make sense for you both to be on it. I mean what if something happens and Itachi is out on a mission and a decision needs to be made. It makes more sense for you both to be on it. It would be fine with me if you wanted to be one as well." Sasuke said to Kakashi.

"I have no problem being one of your guardians. I just didn't want to go ahead with it, if you weren't comfortable with it. Itachi and I can fill the papers out and hand them in." Kakashi said.

"When are the houses available for?" Itachi asked.

"They are available now I believe. The listings should say." Kakashi said.

"Can we look at the listings?" Sasuke asked.

"Absolutely" Kakashi grabbed the listings and together they started to go through them

They had pictures on the inside and outside in the listings and they went through each one. Eliminating the ones that were in an area that they didn't want to be in. They were able to narrow it down to two and Sasuke didn't care which one. The houses were available for rent and to buy, now it was time for Itachi and Kakashi to figure things out.

"Sasuke, why don't you take the course booklet and go read through it. Kakashi and I are going to talk about the houses a bit and see what we are going to do." Itachi said.

"You're kicking me out?"

"Yes, because you are thirteen and I am not going to let you be any older than thirteen. So let Kakashi and I talk this over and we'll let you know."

"I've been raising myself since I was seven. I understand the concept of bills."

"And you have done a very good job of raising yourself. Now go be thirteen and let the adults talk." Itachi said with a small smile.

"Sasuke it's important to pick your arguments. This one isn't worth it." Kakashi said.

"Fine I'm going." Sasuke said with a smile as he grabbed the course booklet and headed into his room.

"What would you like to do?" Itachi asked.

"I'm fine either way. Both houses are nice and in a good location."

"I agree"

"The question is do you want to rent or buy?"

"How do you feel about it?"

"I think the three of us are going to be living together for at least five years. That's assuming Sasuke moves out when he's eighteen."

"Agreed"

"It might make more sense to buy then to rent. I don't know what you think though."

"I always feel that buying makes more sense than renting, especially if you are going to be living in the place for a long time."

"We can put an offer in and see if the current owner accepts it."

"I don't know what your financial situation is."

"I'm fine with half."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes I am sure."

"Let's figure out which one then and start the process."

Kakashi and Itachi looked over both houses and they finally decided to go with the second one. It had the larger backyard and both Kakashi and Itachi agreed that it would be better for them to train in. They got all the paperwork ready and the only thing left to do was to submit it and hopefully everything would work out for them.

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Shikamaru knocked on Chouji's door and waited for someone to answer. He knew that by now Tsunade would have spoken to Chouji and Shikamaru was curious as to how it went. He was hoping that it was some mistake, that someone made Chouji do this to Sasuke. The problem was, Shikamaru was having a hard time believing it. Shikamaru had known Chouji since they were five years old. Shikamaru trusted him with his life, his feelings and his thoughts. For Chouji to betray him like this hurt more than Shikamaru could have ever imagined. He really didn't want this to be true. The front door opened to reveal Chouza and based on his face Shikamaru knew that it was too good to be true.

"Come in Shikamaru."

Chouza stepped back so Shikamaru could enter his home before he shut the door. Shikamaru turned to face Chouza to see what he had to say, if anything.

"He's upstairs in his room. He's grounded, according to his mother until he is thirty."

"The meeting didn't go well then."

"No it didn't. Chouji has been stripped of his ninja status and Tsunade had his charka sealed off. Ibiki just left not too long ago. He's not happy, I think he was expecting this to blow over. He doesn't understand that what he did was wrong. He thinks that you will thank him for it. That he was protecting you from Sasuke."

"Protecting me from what? A friendship? I'm sorry I mean no disrespect, but your son is an idiot if he thinks he did the right thing." Shikamaru said with anger in his voice.

"I agree. I tried to explain, but he truly believes that you won't be upset with him over this. I'm not sure what happened to him to make him act this way, but he just doesn't understand."

"He's about to find out that he can't hurt people just because. I can't and won't be friends with him after this. Sasuke is my friend and I will stand by him."

"I completely understand. Chouji took this too far. It would be different if he understood that, but he doesn't and that concerns me."

"Can I speak with him?"

"Of course. You know the way."

Shikamaru turned and headed up the stairs to Chouji's room. He was not looking forward to this conversation and he could actually feel himself vibrating with anger. Shikamaru really didn't want to have this conversation, but he couldn't run from it. He couldn't tell Sasuke that he had to face his fears if he didn't do the same. Shikamaru knocked on the door before he entered to see Chouji sitting down on his bed. Shikamaru took a quick look at him and saw that he had a black seal around both wrists to prevent him from using his chakra. Normally Shikamaru would feel horrible about it, but right now he didn't.

"Shikamaru, finally someone who understands."

"Understands what? How you hurt someone? Someone that didn't deserve to be hurt. How you completely ignored our friendship and hurt me? How you don't even see what you did was wrong? I don't understand any of this." Shikamaru said with control anger.

"I did this to protect you." Chouji said with a slight anger back.

"Protect me from what?"

"From Sasuke. He's just going to hurt you. He doesn't deserve your friendship, your loyalty. I had to protect you before he hurt you and he would have hurt you. I wasn't going to let that happen. He needed to be taken care of."

"And how exactly were you going to accomplish that? Were you going to have him believe that I sent Naruto to the hospital, that I wrote to the paper? You couldn't have believed that you were going to get away with everything. Naruto would have told someone eventually, the letter you wrote would have been collected, I would have denied it. Your plan was flawed and stupid. You didn't do this for me, you did it for yourself. You were jealous of Sasuke and mine's friendship and you tried to ruin it. Only now you ruined ours."

"No I did this for you. To make our friendship stronger."

"I don't know what happened to you, but you are not the same person you were six months ago. I don't know who you are, but I know I don't like it. Our friendship is over and it's because of your actions. It was such an easy problem to fix. All we had to do was make time to hang out like we used to, but you had to go and do this. You hurt Sasuke and you hurt me. You betrayed me and I can't forgive that. I don't want to see you around anymore. I'm done."

Shikamaru turned to leave and he didn't stop even when Chouji called out to him. Shikamaru walked quickly passed Chouza and out the door. He couldn't believe that Chouji just didn't understand why what he did was wrong. He didn't understand that he had hurt him in the process and that was something Shikamaru could never forget. Shikamaru was so angry he didn't know what to do so he headed to Sasuke's place to see if talking would calm him down. Shikamaru got to Sasuke's and just like Kakashi said he didn't knock he just walked in. Kakashi and Itachi were sitting in the living room and Shikamaru didn't even stop. He just walked right by them and headed into Sasuke's room. Kakashi and Itachi looked at each other and they both knew that Shikamaru had just come from Chouji's. They figured they would see if Sasuke could calm Shikamaru down, if not they would step in to help. Shikamaru walked into Sasuke's room and saw that Sasuke was sitting on his bed with a book. He didn't even give Sasuke a chance to say anything before he spoke.

"He doesn't even care. He doesn't understand that what he did was wrong. He thought I would agree with him on how he acted, like I would thank him for it. He said he was protecting me from you, because apparently you don't deserve my loyalty yet he does. He thought you would blame me and you wouldn't speak to me again. He could have put myself in trouble with Tsunade if it wasn't for the fact that she knew I wouldn't have done this. I could have lost my ninja status and he would still be a ninja. Yet I'm supposed to thank him for all of this? He betrayed me and he thought that I would actually be okay with everything that we would just go back to hanging out and act like this never happened. How could I have been so stupid and blind? He wasn't like this six months ago and I have no idea what made him change all of a sudden. None of this makes any sense and now I have lost a friendship with my best friend since I was five." Shikamaru finished with a heavy breath.

"Hello to you two." Sasuke said with a small smirk.

Shikamaru let out a sigh. "I'm sorry I have never been this mad before in my life."

"Well luckily for you I have so come on." Sasuke said as he got up off the bed and headed for the door.

"Where are we going?"

"Shut up and follow." Sasuke said with a smirk.

Shikamaru followed Sasuke out to the backyard and once again Kakashi and Itachi didn't say anything.

"Lay down." Sasuke said as he slowly laid down on the grass looking up at the sky.

"Why?" Shikamaru asked as he laid down beside Sasuke.

"Shut up."

Shikamaru let out a sigh and just stayed quiet. He looked up at the sky and saw the clouds and he could start to feel himself calming down. It wasn't until five minutes later that Shikamaru spoke.

"This is what you do when you are mad?"

"No I tend to meditate sitting, but you are lazy and like to look at the clouds so. Feel better?"

"Ya actually I do. Itachi said he taught you how to meditate."

"He did when I was younger. It helps with building your senses. It's also nice sometimes to just be completely alone and relaxed."

"I think I might start meditating. I'm not much of a fighter so if I can have stronger senses I will be able to sneak up on attackers at least."

"You might not be a fighter, but you could be. There are a lot of fighting techniques that would be easy enough for you to learn. You just have to pick a day, one day a week where you don't be lazy and you train."

"I know, I just have no interest in training I never have."

"Look at it this way. You're a Chounin and eventually one day you'll go back to leading missions. One day you'll be a Jounin and the missions will get harder. If you don't train and just grow slowly there will be other ninja there to help in fights, but what happens when there isn't? I was tortured and none of us stood a chance against Orochimaru or that guy, who we still have no idea who he is. It took five of you to take him down. The odds of you being in a position like that again is rare, but what if the next time it's just you and someone being tortured. What if the only thing you had to rely on is your own fighting skills to save someone? We're not in the academy anymore. The spars that we had don't happen. Now in battles its life or death and you can't just hope that someone stronger will be with you when your battle comes."

"You're right. I never looked at it that way. I've just always been not a fighter. I don't have that strong of chakra and I don't have much of it. I've always been the one to think ten steps ahead. That's what I'm good at, but you're right. What if I am the only thing standing in the way of saving someone and that person dying. I need to figure out a way to train and get stronger. A way that works for me."

"You'll figure it out. I'm sure Asuma will help you. You don't have to be the strongest in the room; you just have to be strong enough to survive."

"I'll figure something out. It's time I started to get serious. How are you feeling?"

"I'm getting better. The pain is a lot better than it was and sleeping seems to be helping a lot. I'm sorry this happened to you."

"It's not your fault. I don't regret hanging out with you. I'm really glad we're friends."

"Me two."

Shikamaru and Sasuke both smiled at each other and just stayed outside for a few hours talking and looking up at the sky. Kakashi and Itachi couldn't help, but smile themselves at the two of them. For the first time Sasuke had a true friend and Itachi couldn't happier about it. Shikamaru was a good young man and Itachi was looking forward to the future.

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It was a month later and today was moving day. Sasuke was actually excited about it; it was going to be their fresh start as a family. They were moving into a beautiful three bedroom house with no memories. They were going to be able to make their own happy memories in that house and make it a home. It had been a very long time since Sasuke had an actual home and he couldn't help, but look forward to it. Shikamaru had helped Sasuke and Itachi pack up the things they wanted from the old home in the compound and now everything was at Kakashi's ready to be moved. They wouldn't let Sasuke lift anything heavy and Sasuke was fine with that. He was almost pain free, but he could still make the pain worse by pushing himself too hard and too fast. Shikamaru was there to help as was Asuma. Together the five of them were able to move everything within two hours to the new house. Once everything was moved they had ordered food and did some unpacking while they waited for their food. Sasuke was so excited to be living in a home again and the smile on his face made it very clear. There hadn't been any problems in the last month and for that Sasuke was thankful for. He was able to heal and get better on his own. He was still cutting, but it wasn't that often. Sasuke knew it wasn't a good idea, but he was confident he could control it. He was only doing three cuts once a week and that was able to help him feel more in control. Sasuke was in complete denial about just how serious of a problem he had. He was wearing long sleeved shirts so no one saw anything and he could also wear a wrist band when it was hotter out.

All of the paperwork for school had been submitted and they were going next month to look at the school. Kakashi was going to go with them and Sasuke was glad that he was making an effort in a relationship. Both Kakashi and Itachi were Sasuke's legal guardian now and it just made everything official. They were a family and this was their first home. At the end of the night after everyone was gone Sasuke sat down on his bed in his new room just looking around. Today had felt right and Sasuke was genuinely happy. Sasuke didn't know what the future was going to hold, but Sasuke was looking forward to finding out. With that thought in his head Sasuke got ready for bed and turned in. Never knowing that when school started his life was only going to get more complicated.

**The End.**


End file.
